by Tara Nicole Haas
Hello Everyone! The Selfish Giant is now underway and is being very well received from our audiences. Did you know that there is a reason we chose The Selfish Giant to be produced this time of year? Every year for the spring show, the BYU Theatre and Media Arts department teams up with the Provo Library to produce a children’s story derived from a book. After a story is picked, the library distributes little bookmarks throughout the library and in nearby schools. The bookmarks list information about the performances and include an offer for two free tickets to the show if a student reads the chosen story, and possibly more. In this case, if the student reads The Selfish Giant, as well as one other fairy tale book from the library, the student will be given free tickets.
This is a wonderful collaboration as it encourages students to read, as well as gives them an opportunity to experience a piece of theatre first hand. On top of this, there are also special workshops provided for children before each matinee show time. These offer a fun opportunity for children, as well as great learning experiences. As a lover and supporter of the arts, I believe teaching the children in our community about the arts is very important. This is what will help them the arts to ultimately grow and flourish, and thus benefits our community as a whole. We at BYU in the Theatre and Media Arts department are very grateful for this significant collaboration!
