Educating Berkshire County's youth through the arts is one of MASS MoCA's highest priorities. Through our Art Assembly Series of school time performances, public Saturday Morning Kids' Events, gallery tours and educators' guides, and the ever-popular Kidspace, MASS MoCA continues to offer top-quality children's events and develop new and creative ways of exploring the arts with children.
To arrange for a class tour of the galleries contact our education coordinator Cortney Tunis by phone 413 664 4481 x8150 or email
You can also download an Educators' Guide for the Sol LeWitt Retrospective and plan your own tour and activities!
We are grateful to TD Bank for their continued support of this series.
For your convenience please download ticket order form.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Performance at 9:30 AM
Recommended for Grades 4-8
Running Time: Approximately 1 hour
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE: Zoom is a new work by ZviDance that seeks to blend technology with movement to reflect how technology has become as inseparable to our lives as the human body. Zoom will reflect on how handheld devices (cell phones, ipods, etc) have become a driving force for human interactivity and whether or not this has become a help or a hindrance. During the Art Assembly, students will explore how a dance is made, the use of technology, as well as how it is combined with multiple mediums to create a new theater experience.
ABOUT THE COMPANY: ZviDance, a company comprised of athletic and lyrical dancers, blends contemporary aesthetics with lush, full-bodied movement. The company exists to provide audiences world-class dance with the unique choreographic vision and movement vocabulary of Israeli-born Artistic Director Zvi Gotheiner.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Performances at 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM
Recommended for Grades 3-8
Running Time: Approximately 1 hour
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE: The story begins with Professor Henslow, a famous scientist with magic powers who is in the process of bringing to life his newest creation and dinosaur friend, Darwin. The story tells of Darwin’s experiences as he explores his new world, encountering many different types of creatures—Verla, the gangly ostrich; Peche, the beautiful fish; and Brutus, the menacing red dinosaur. In the end, when Brutus threatens Professor Henslow, Darwin is forced to make a decision. A decision that will alter his life forever, an ultimately, lead him to discover the true meaning of love.
ABOUT THE COMPANY: CORBIAN Visual Arts and Dance combines the telling of a heart-rendering story with a unique and innovative theater experience where electroluminescent crayon-like creatures light up the stage in a blackout setting. Electroluminescent wire is a thin, flexible copper wire coated in a phosphorescent substance which glows when AC current is applied to it. Through a unique combination of puppetry, dance, storytelling and technology, CORBIAN strives to rethink conventional theater.
Tuesday, March 4, 2010
Performance at 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM
Recommended for Grades PreK - 3
Running Time: Approximately 1 hour
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE: Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia brings its innovative adaptation of Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved bedtime classic, Goodnight Moon. Few writers have been as attuned to the concerns and emotions of childhood as Margaret Wise Brown (1910–1952). Brown, a former teacher, believed that very young children could be fascinated by the simple pleasures of the world around them. Few had previously attempted to write specifically for children aged two to five, and Brown created some of the most enduring and beloved children’s books of all time as well as developed the concept of the first durable board book. All brought to life through colorful sets and characters who children can meet after the performance.
ABOUT THE COMPANY: Now in its thirty-seventh season, Mermaid Theatre has earned international acclaim for its unique interpretations of the works of Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar ), Leo Lionni (Swimmy, Frederick & Inch by Inch) and Sam McBratney (Guess How Much I Love You). These widely-travelled productions return to MASS MoCA, incorporating innovative puppetry, striking scenic effects, and evocative original music to provide very young audiences with an effortless introduction to the performing arts and the excitement of reading.
To supplement each performance, MASS MoCA provides curriculum based study guides to every educator, helping you to incorporate the performance into your curriculum. Study guide activities and material have been developed by Kidspace Director Laura Thompson to:
- Provide educators with subject information, artist biographies, and quick pre- and post- show activities.
- Prepare students for MCAS testing
- Fulfill statewide standards in Language arts, social studies and history.
- Implement national arts achievement standards
Performances do sell out so please place your order in advance to guarantee seating for your group. Call the box office at 413 MoCA111 between 11am and 5pm Wednesday through Monday. For other questions please contact Meredith Boggiai by phone 413.664.4481 x8109 or email.
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