Theatre Lab, the professional resident company of Florida Atlantic University, has announced the opening of the 2023-24 season with a Heckscher Theatre for Families production. This year’s offering is the Florida Premiere of “The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd,” by Stephen Brown. The show opens on Saturday, Sept. 16 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 8 on Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. in the Heckscher Stage theater space in Parliament Hall, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. Tickets are $25 for adults and Free to all students under 18 with a paid adult admission. Tickets and season subscriptions are available by calling 561-297-6124.
“In 2019, we presented the co-world premiere of Stephen’s play ‘Everything Is Super Great,’ and we are thrilled to have him return with his newest play, fresh off its world premiere at Alliance Theatre in Atlanta,” said Matt Stabile, producing artistic director of Theatre Lab.
The play won the 2022-23 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition and follows Jasmine, a 12-year old genius, as she utilizes her skills to invent a time machine in the hopes of reuniting her divorced parents.
“These productions are meant to entertain and engage the imaginations of every audience member, from ages 8 to 108, and are some of my favorite of our past productions,” continued Stabile.
The production will serve as the centerpiece for Theatre Lab’s critically-acclaimed educational outreach program, the Future PAGES Project, which is being celebrated for its 9th year. This program has been at the core of Theatre Lab’s mission and programming since their first season in 2015-16. Dedicated to providing students in grades 4 to 12 the opportunity to experience a live-theatrical performance and develop their own writing skills, the Future PAGES Project provides in-school creative writing workshops and field trips to see the Heckscher Theatre for Families production to local school partners all at no-cost to the students or schools.
“Our program starts with a visit to partner schools where we provide a writing workshop to help students identify and utilize the five parts of a story,” said Jill Carr, director of Education & Community Outreach at Theatre Lab.
Following that workshop, students attend a performance of the show and are asked to submit an original story, based on their own personal experience inspired by a pre-selected theme of the show, back to Theatre Lab. The top two percent of submissions will be invited to join Carr, additional teaching artists, and other selected students for a six-week intensive program where they will rewrite, refine and combine their stories into an original performance piece.
“This year’s theme is ‘Backwards & Forwards’,” continued Carr, “And I can’t wait to see the dynamic and surprising stories we are sure to get returned.”
In addition to the workshops and performances, each partner classroom is provided with a curriculum guide with supplemental information and materials for lesson plans, activities and class projects. To date, the program has served more than 10,000 students from across Palm Beach and Broward counties.
“If a student’s school isn’t already participating in the program, there is still a way for them to be eligible for consideration to join the Future PAGES Project.” added Carr. The same Parts of a Story workshops offered to partner schools are being provided prior to each Saturday and Sunday matinee performance.
“Any interested student in grades 4 to 12 can show up an hour before the show and join us for the workshop,” continued Carr.
Free creative writing workshops for students ages 8 to 17 will be offered prior to matinee performances of “The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd” on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. All students who attend the show, whether field trip or public performance, are eligible to submit a piece of original writing for the opportunity to be included in Theatre Lab’s annual Future PAGES Project educational outreach program.
Heckscher Theatre for Families Production
The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd by Stephen Brown
A Florida Premiere
September 16- October 8, 2023
Directed by Matt Stabile
Jasmine is a 12-year-old computer genius who can do anything. She can hack into the AT&T mainframe. Build an artificially-intelligent friend named Grace. But she can’t get her divorced parents to get back together. So of course, she decides to build a time-machine with her uncle in order to change the past so that maybe…her present can be different.
The playwright of the co-world premiere comedy, Everything is Super Great, Stephen Brown, returns to The Lab with his new play for all ages, fresh off a successful world premiere in Atlanta. This production is the centerpiece of our fall 2023 educational outreach program and offers an imaginative and fun-filled show for all ages!
Recommended for ages 8+
Performances: Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm
Free Creative Writing Workshops for students ages 8-18, one hour prior to performances
Tickets: $25 for adults, up to 4 student tickets free with each adult purchase – student tickets MUST be reserved via ticketing website or by calling the box office