By Aaron Brand
Texarkana Gazette
TEXARKANA, Texas - Food insecurity comes to the fore as the Theatre for Young Audiences series kicks off Wednesday at the Perot Theatre.
Food insecurity is more than momentary hunger. Food insecurity is when, because of economic factors, someone may not know when they'll eat the next meal or if there's even enough food at home to nourish a family. Many children face this reality.
The Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council starts its TYA series with "Maddi's Fridge," a stage show for 1st-graders through 5th-graders presented at both 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. New to the TYA schedule this year is a sensory friendly performance the next day, Thursday, at 9:30 a.m.
If seats are available and this and other TYA shows are not sold out, tickets will be available to the public. This production is from the Arizona-based Childsplay Theatre.
"The story in itself, it touches on some serious issues, but kind of puts it in a way children can relate to and understand," said Alisha Tarbill, TYA coordinator and education assistant. "It's the story of two best friends who go to school together, see each other every day, and one of the friends, Sophia, finds out that Maddi, her best friend, has no food in her fridge at home."
The play shows how one friend has microwavable meals waiting at home, while the other will only find milk and bread in her fridge. Themes of hunger and friendship, even whether or not to keep a secret about this lack of food, are explored.
"It's a very serious issue, but it's brought down to a relatable level that kids can understand," Tarbill said.
The story is based on the Lois Brandt book children may have read in school or at home.
"In conjunction with this performance, we are also partnering with Harvest Texarkana, so we are going to host a food drive on Oct. 16 and 17, the days of the performances," Tarbill said. Students can donate canned foods and non-perishables in bins set up outside the theater.
This food drive brings the food insecurity issue home to the community, she said, shedding light on it.
"There are many kids in our community facing these issues right now, but it's not always talked about or seen," Tarbill said.
As well, the Thursday sensory friendly performance is a first for TYA. The integrity of the production is the same, such as the plot, said Tarbill.
"The difference is it will be just a little more of a relaxed environment, so kids that have sensory sensitivities won't feel overwhelmed. The lighting won't be quite as dim, the sound levels will be adapted just a little," Tarbill said. Students may bring a comfort item or use headphones, the rules relaxed so students feel comfortable. This type of setting can help kids on the spectrum, she said.
TRAHC asked to have a sensory friendly performance. "We thought it would be beneficial. We thought it would be something the community needed," Tarbill said. "It's a growing need across the country and in our community to have these types of performances."
Other Theatre for Young Audiences shows for the 2019-2020 season include:
- "Bill Blagg's Magic in Motion" on Nov. 7, 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for 5th-graders through 8th-graders. Also, Blagg will present "The Magic of Bill Blagg Live!" for all audiences that night, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ($34-$18).
- "Miss Nelson Has a Field Day" on Jan. 15, 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for kindergartners through 4th-graders.
- "Click, Clack, Moo" on Feb. 19, 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for kindergartners through 4th-graders.
- "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" on March 5, 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for pre-kindergarten through 3rd-graders.
(Tickets for the general audience are $7 apiece. More info and tickets: Contact Alisha Tarbill at 903-792-8681 or at [email protected].)