Today we closed our 2009 show of The Pirate & the Squid at the Variety Boys & Girls Club in Queens. About 30 children attended the showing in the downstairs library of the newly renovated facility in Long Island City.
The Variety Boys and Girls Club’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need them most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Variety Boys and Girls Club provides a safe place to grow ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals, life-enhancing programs and character development experiences, and hope and opportunity.
Queens has a very special meaning to Christine and me – for several years we both lived in Sunnyside in the same building! And our resident snail/starfish Cheri is a new Astoria resident. No matter where you’re from, it’s undeniable that Queens is a community unlike any other. You don’t have to live there to know it – you just have to visit.
Our recent visit was fantastic. Our show, though in its own separate room, was part of their annual Halloween festivities. At every turn, you could see lots of little fairies and goblins, Batman and The Joker sat next to each other in the audience, goblins laughed along with gouls, and a tiny, brave firefighter rounded out the end of a row. We even had our very own Hannah Montanta in the audience watching the performance!
Many thanks to VBGC Executive Director Karen Johnson and Associate Executive Director Mohamed Oukacine who have been so welcoming to us. It’s been such a pleasure to be a part of such a fantastic community event. “We are so excited to partner with Elephant Ensemble Theater in this way,” Karen said. “Performing Arts is a critical part of our programming and seeing live theater is a great way to get kids excited about it.”
What’s next for Elephant? Well, we’ll be launching our new tour in March – an exciting, educational show which helps kids learn several different languages called The Busy Little Bee. It should be a fun time, and although things may seem a little quiet, we’ve already, believe it or not, have started our planning.
Many thanks to our fantastic cast for their talent and, more importantly, their compassion. They are such special creatures each and every one of them. And they never cease to make me so, so proud.
Still not ready to say goodbye? Click on the links below to be brought to YouTube to witness:
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