The Parkersburg Art Center is set to host a special Shakespeare program and seeks to involve preschool children in art.
The Rustic Mechanicals will perform “The Tempest” at 3 p.m. on August 4 in the ballroom of the Parkersburg Art Center. Tickets are priced at $15 for adults and $10 for students.
“The Tempest,” Shakespeare’s final solo play, mixes comedy, magic, and themes of forgiveness and renewal. This production promises to be both entertaining and thought-provoking in a theater-in-the-round setting.
Founded in 2014 by Celi Oliveto, the Rustic Mechanicals is the only troupe in West Virginia dedicated to touring Shakespeare and classical plays. Their innovative approach features dynamic casting and a unique “script-in-hand” format, making classic works accessible and enjoyable.
Additionally, the Parkersburg Art Center has opened registration for the ArtStart Preschool Program for students ages 3-5. A few openings remain in the four-day morning class, which begins in late August and continues through mid-May.
The ArtStart program offers a developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to enhance the students’ creative, physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. The program provides small class sizes, with no more than 12 students and two teachers per classroom.
The ArtStart curriculum serves as an academic foundation for kindergarten, fostering skills in a playful and meaningful way.
“We integrate the arts into our curriculum – not as separate subjects, but as pivotal elements in the development of language and literacy, emergent math, problem-solving, and other skills. Because this is a private school program, teachers have the flexibility to create educational units that match the interests of a particular class,” said Jessie Siefert, managing director and education director at the Parkersburg Art Center.
“For learning to take root, activities must be hands-on and meaningful,” Siefert added. “Children, especially young children, do not learn through rote memorization or by completing worksheets. These activities disengage the brain. Hands-on experiences engage young minds and create lasting memories. The ArtStart Preschool program offers this kind of freedom for personal, meaningful discovery within a structured environment. It is truly a wonderful program.”