Central Texas’ most well-known children’s theatre company, Pollyanna Theatre, a resident company of the Long Center for the Performing Arts, presents Whether the Weather – An Interactive Theatre Experience for Very Young Children written and directed by Bethany Lynn Corey. The production runs November 9-12 and 16-19 at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. at the AT&T Conference Room in the Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin, TX  78704.

Created for children 18 months – 5 years old, Whether the Weather follows two best friends, Sunny and Gus, as they explore the meaning of the British nursery rhyme. The pair moves between scenes with different types of weather—sunny, windy, rainy, snowy, etc.—discovering what makes each type of weather unique and confirming the strength of their friendship. Sunny and Gus learn that those we love and who love us are always by our side because they’ll “weather the weather whatever the weather.”

“Small children are fascinated by the weather and by imaginary play, and we combine both in this play” says director and playwright Bethany Lynn Corey, “As our characters pretend they are experiencing different types of weather, they pick out clothes, find toys and take part in activities to match the different weather characteristics. I hope the audience will find excitement in gaining an understanding of the natural world around them and take home ways they can continue to play outside and inside whatever the weather may be.”

Pollyanna Theatre Company is the first to bring ‘Theatre for the Very Young’ (TVY), a variety of theatre work and practices intentionally designed for children under the age of 6, to the Central Texas region. TVY engages children through a visual and physical style of performance merged with elements of dramatic play. Professional actors perform and invite children to participate, providing a bridge for them to use their natural instincts to engage in dramatic play. Pollyanna has produced 4 successful TVY plays with playwright Bethany Lynn Corey, including In My Own Backyard, Under the Big Top, Jamie Doesn’t Want to Take a Bath, and Cowboy in the Kitchen. For many children, Pollyanna’s “Play and Play” series will be their first exposure to a formal theatre experience. The leaders of Pollyanna hope that these productions are a great introduction to a childhood that is rich in audience experiences. The company provides a year-round program of seven professional theatre productions for children ages 18 months thru 12 years of age. 

The production stars Martinique Duchene-Phillips as Sunny and Craig Kanne as Gus with stage management and sound design by Trevor Seits, set design by Chase Staggs, properties design by Joanna Casey, and costume design by Bethany Lynn Corey and Judy Matetzsch-Campbell.

In addition to public performances, Whether the Weather is also available for schools, daycare centers and camps throughout Central Texas.

ABOUT POLLYANNA THEATRE COMPANY: The founders of Pollyanna Theatre Company believe that theatre is a powerful teaching tool that speaks to people of all ages in a unique and powerful way through a variety of visual, aural, and emotional languages. Therefore, theatre should be a part of all general education from preschool through adulthood. Toward that end, The Pollyanna Theatre Company strives to work alongside educators to inspire, motivate, and teach audiences of all ages. Although the company’s primary focus is upon young audience members, the ensemble performs top quality theatrical productions that speak to and illuminate the human spirit and condition for all ages. www.pollyannatheatrecompany.org

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT: Bethany Lynn Corey serves as the Drama Specialist for the Creative Learning Initiative in the Austin Independent School District. Prior to this she served as the Early Learning Manager for the Thinkery, a Children’s Museum in Austin, TX, focused on STEAM education. She received her M.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, where much of her research involved the use of drama and theater for children under the age of six, and a dual B.A. in Music and Theatre for Children and Public Communications from American University. Bethany has worked nationally and internationally as an actress, director, and teaching artist. She identifies herself as a teaching artist, as she places equal value on both her educational and artistic work, with her practice firmly rooted in theory and scholarship. As a teaching artist, Ms. Corey has worked on curriculum development, in-class residencies, and teacher training programs for a wide range of organizations, including Drama for Schools, Paramount Theatre, Trike Theatre, and Imagination Stage. As both an artist and an educator, Ms. Corey is uniquely prepared to create early childhood work of equal artistic and educational significance. She has numerous credits as an actress, director, choreographer, and theater-maker. In the past five years, her work has shifted to focus on creating original work in Theatre for the Very Young, theatrical performances specifically designed to serve children under the age of six. Her work led to the creation of the SPARK! Theatre Ensemble as well as original pieces produced by Trike Theatre and Pollyanna Theatre Company.