By Collin Kelle

One of the biggest delights of the 2011 arts season was Théâtre du Rêve’s adaption of the classic French film The Red Balloon. Every performance sold out, so it was a no-brainer that it would return in 2012. The production opens Jan. 27 and continues through Feb. 12 at 7 Stages in Little Five Points, but you’d better grab tickets now if you hope to catch this charming mix of live action and puppetry.

The proto-New Wave film directed by Albert Lamorisse was released in 1956 and has since become a beloved right-of-passage in frequent screenings at schools and on PBS. The story is simple: A lonely Parisian boy, Pascal, is befriended by “le ballon rouge,” which seems to be alive. The balloon follows him wherever he goes, waits for Pascal outside his school and often gets the boy in trouble for its willful antics. The balloon becomes Pascal’s best friend, until a group of envious bullies steal it.

The Center for Puppetry Arts’ Park Cofield (pictured) adapted and directed The Red Balloon for the stage. Cofield said he was “blown away” by last year’s audience response. “I was really excited that so many school groups want to come and experience the show with us and that it also touched adults, who feel so much nostalgia for the film,” Cofield said. “After the reception in 2011, it would have been a disservice if we didn’t bring it back.”

For tickets and information, visit www.theatredureve.com.

By Tim Sullivan

Last month, Virginia Highland resident Allie Schellhammer took top honors in the women’s division at the annual Cabbagetown Romp and Stomp 5K.  Days later she gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Charlotte.  Here she does her best to convince me that this is not amazing stuff.  I am not fully convinced.

When I told my wife Kristen (and mother of our two) that the woman who won the race was nine months pregnant her response was something along the lines of “Wha’?  How?  With that belly?  How?”   So in practical terms, umm, how do you do it?

Spanx. No just kidding. I’m going to claim genetics – my mom only gained 17 pounds while pregnant with me and my twin. I’m lucky to carry my babies in a manner that is very conducive to running and for the most part, I don’t notice the belly at all.

What does your doctor advise with regards to competitive running during pregnancy?  Because let’s face it – pregnancy is about the best reason in the history of mankind to waddle around, eat ice cream and demand back rubs.

That’s what my husband Joel always tells me. And then, in the next breath, he tells me I should definitely try to defend my title and win a race.  As I’m sure a lot of people read when the Chicago runner completed the Chicago Marathon and then gave birth seven hours later, it’s completely fine to maintain the workout regimen you had prior to pregnancy. But please don’t take my answer as a medical license to do something crazy – talk to your doctor first!

There were 600 women registered for this race and maybe a few others were pregnant. Maybe.  But none of them, young, old or knocked up ran it in 20 minutes flat like you did!  Have you been able to perform at this level through all three pregnancies?

We actually had three miscarriages before we had our oldest daughter so I was pretty cautious while pregnant with her and only did a few races. Nine months later I was pregnant with our second daughter and had just joined the Atlanta Track Club’s competitive team. I raced at least once a month and actually had one of my fastest ever half-marathon times (1:24) while 27-weeks pregnant. With this pregnancy, though, I’ve trained a lot with my double jogging stroller. This baby has raced with me the most and I’ve probably been the fastest with her – the debate is always if she crossed the line first or if I did.

Joel keeps a great pace as well and is a consistent winner in our “Stroller Division” which means your daughters Catherine and Caroline have played a part in claiming victory too. How does the Schellhammer family find time to get exercise in?

Joel travels a lot so the girls are my best training partners. We try to combine longer training runs with naptime so they’re not bored. Add in a few fun landmark destination runs (Centennial Olympic Fountains, the Aquarium, Zoo and Children’s Museum) and it keeps them happy. I love that they get fresh air while we take our adventures through the city. My revised goal on hills is to run just fast enough so my oldest doesn’t ask, “Why are we walking?”

And just how long (or short) after giving birth do you expect to be back out getting your miles in?

Mentally, I’d be ready as soon as I leave the hospital, but physically I think it will be at least three weeks before I’m doing anything (and we’re talking slow three to four mile jaunts at a time). Doctors recommend you wait six weeks and I might take them up on it this time around. I hear the transition to three kids is crazy!

In mid-October, my friend Mike Benzie posted on his Facebook page “Took 3rd overall in the Monster Dash 5k in Grant Park.  2nd in the non-pregnant division.” Does your performance improve when you aren’t pregnant?

Ha! The crazy thing is my times aren’t that much faster when I’m not pregnant. I really think that my body reacts to pregnancy like “blood doping” – all the extra blood from the baby coursing through my veins actually helps. I hope that training with a triple jogger (yes, they make them and yes, we own one!) will help me reach some new PRs.

Organizers from the Sopo Bicycle Co-op and Atlanta Bicycle Coalition hope to build awareness of the growing presence of kids and families on bikes, as well as the need for all road users to respect others. Kidical Mass brings together families who bike to build a supportive bicycling community. Kidical Mass rides are comfortable for families just starting out and biking on city streets for the first time but don’t completely avoid traffic. There is safety in numbers, not just on a group ride like this but also in the day to day world of riding in the city. This ride helps families experience that comfort, and hopes participants will grow to incorporate biking into their transportation menus in the future.

The first ride in May was a hit, with 60+ children and family members biking about 4 miles from Oakhurst to Downtown Decatur. Neighborhood residents on their porches fired up cell phones to photograph and film the “kidical” riders, who ranged in age  from toddlers on their parents’ bikes to older children and teens.

The Grant Park Kidical Mass will start at 10 a.m. at Milledge Fountain, at the corner of Cherokee and Milledge Avenues and take participants through the streets of the community. Riders are encouraged to share the fun by ringing bells, bringing noise makers, and waving to all. All types of bikes, trailers, trail-a-bikes, Xtracycles, longtails, bakfiets, Long Johns, tandems, folders, trikes, and whatever rolls are welcome. Organizers will give away Kidical Mass spoke cards and stickers at the ride start location at 9:30 a.m as the group gathers.

By law in Georgia, all children 16 and under must wear a helmet. Parents and caregivers are strongly encouraged to model that behavior as well as safe riding practices. The ride will stop as many times as necessary to make sure the group stays together. Streets will not be closed. Riders can join or leave the group at any point.

Guidelines for participants include personal responsibility (obey traffic laws and no group movements through stop signs and lights), and parental responsibility for their own children by being aware of their location at all times. Kidical Mass Atlanta information is available at www.atlantabike.org/kidical.

By Brandon Sutton

Kids are changing the world, with or without the help of adults. That’s the underlying message behind a new documentary film in the works called Kids of the Gulf.

Last summer and again this spring, I visited the Gulf coast to document the BP oil spill’s insidious, yet often hidden impacts on local communities along the coast. The work caught the attention of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF) and two of its young volunteers who are determined to have a positive impact on the oil spill, regardless of the waning national attention on the issue.

Somerhalder, best known for his leading roles in The Vampire Diaries and in Lost, is an outspoken activist and advocate for clean energy, animal rights, and environmental protection, and started ISF to champion these causes.

Devon, 7, and Devin, 13, are traveling to the Gulf this fall to learn about how the spill impacted kids and families along the coast.  They want to see for themselves what it’s like for kids just like them to live in the disaster’s aftermath day after day. Ultimately, they want to help the communities that were impacted by raising awareness of the human side of the disaster in the hopes that we can change things that are keeping our citizens and environment in constant jeopardy of tragic events like the 2010 oil spill.

We’re taking a professional film crew down to the Gulf to document the journey of these kids as they discover what’s really going on along the coast. Away from the slick advertisements that have lulled the country into complacency, the experiences in the bayous and on the beaches of the Gulf will provide Devon and Devin with a unique perspective to share with their global following.

Already, kids from 47 countries on six continents are supporting the film, and Twitter has been ablaze with mentions of the initiative since the day the fundraising campaign was announced.

Our Atlanta-based team is committed to helping share these stories with the world through a beautifully produced documentary film that we intend to show on network TV, in major film festivals, and other public and private screenings.

With the support and encouragement of ISF, the message these kids are sending to the world is being amplified significantly, and a whole new generation of change makers is being inspired to speak out and take action in their own communities.

To learn more, or to support/sponsor Kids of the Gulf, visit kidsofthegulf.com.

By Julia Turner

The Atlanta Music Project, now in its second year, is having major success in spurring social change in Atlanta’s underserved neighborhoods. The project operates as an after school music program for kids in grades 1-8 that exposes students to a variety of instruments and offers quality music training from classically trained teaching assistants. The overall goal of the program is much more than creating young musicians, however.

By redirecting students’ focus on a productive and disciplined activity, AMP aims to instill important life behaviors in the kids going through the program. Dedication and committed practice to learning an instrument are expected to carry over into other aspects of the children’s lives, and from the results the pilot program has seen, the plan is working.

In its first year, AMP operated out of the Gilbert House, a cultural recreation center in southwest Atlanta. The musical after school activities were soon widely known in the neighborhood.

“Word got out because parents noticed changes in the children’s behavior,” says Jen Farris, AMP public relations officer. “Their self-esteem and confidence have boosted.” Students who came in with hesitancy and downcast eyes now play in public concerts with assurance.

The program is the result of efforts by Dantes Rameau, a Canadian musician living in Atlanta and former recipient of the Abreu Fellowship. Rameau studied at Yale and Carnegie Melon. After completing his studies, he wanted to use his music to promote a positive influence in the world.

His opportunity came in the form of the fellowship, named for Jose Antonio Abreu, a Venezuelan conductor and politician who started a network of youth orchestras in Venezuela known as El Sistema. Recipients of the fellowship spend a year studying between Boston and Caracas, learning about the mission and practice of El Sistema. After completing the Abreu Fellowship, Rameau used his knowledge of the Venezuela program to start AMP in Atlanta.

Rameau’s timing was perfect, bringing the project to Atlanta just after Mayor Kasim Reed came into office with his Centers of Hope campaign. AMP immediately received support from the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs, partnering with them to bring some of the underused neighborhood recreation centers back to life.

After receiving funding from the Zeist foundation, the Atlanta Music Project has opened a new location in the Edgewood neighborhood at the Coan Recreation Center.

More information about the program and opportunities for volunteering and donations can be found at atlantamusicproject.org.

By Collin Kelley

The Atlanta Opera will premiere Rabbit Tales, based on the Br’er Rabbit stories by Joel Chandler Harris, at The Wren’s Nest on Saturday, Oct. 29.

The one-hour children’s opera is the first ever commissioned by the Atlanta Opera and will tour Georgia elementary schools during the 2011-12 season.

The libretto, written by Atlanta-based librettist and playwright, Madeleine St. Romain, will be based on the antics of Br’er Rabbit using the storytelling traditions of Western, Central and Southern Africa.

The score, composed by Atlanta-based flutist and composer Nicole Chamberlain, will be written for four voice types, and will incorporate melodies and rhythms from African, Native American and Cajun music, as well as the blues.

The opera is under the direction of Park Cofield, who is known for is work at The Center for Puppetry Arts and his hit adaptation of The Red Balloon for Theater du Reve.

“The challenge for this touring production was making sure it could fit in a passenger van,” Cofield said. “The sets, costumes, keyboards and actors all have to be able to travel lightly.”

St. Romain spent countless hours reading the Joel Chandler Harris stories before deciding to pick one of his lesser-known characters, Teenchy-Tiny Duck, to frame the story.

“I wanted to use a female character, and there aren’t that many in Harris’ stories,” St. Romain said. “Then I found Teenchy- Tiny Duck and it gave me an intrepid young heroin and a place for Brer Rabbit to be helpful rather than his usual trickster self.”

In Rabbit Tales, Teenchy-Tiny Duck finds a gold purse, only to have it stolen by King Lion. Enter Br’er Rabbit with a plan to get the purse back.

Cofield said opera-loving parents will find plenty to like in the story, too, since the music has familiar phrases from Wagner and Mozart. St. Romain said the music is complex, but the words will be very easy for young children to understand.

The four singers who will take the show on the road will greet students as storytellers and then use simple costumes like ears, tails and paws to represent the various characters.

Cofield said the opera will be interactive, encouraging students to make sounds and share the journey with Br’er Rabbit and Teenchy-Tiny Duck.
For more about Rabbit Tales, visit atlantaopera.org or wrensnestonline.com.

This festival offers plenty of fun for the whole family and is free to the public with proceeds raised via ticket sales for on-site children’s activities. These activities feature classics such as arts ‘n’ crafts, pony rides, a jumpy, “hair and nails”, a dunk tank, an artists market and much more. New this year, food will be provided by the Pup truck and Tex’s Tacos in addition to our traditional bake and ice cream sale. Local bands will provide live entertainment for everyone’s enjoyment.

Proceeds from the event directly benefit the Garden Hills community with past beneficiaries including the Atlanta Fire Department, Station 21; the Atlanta Police Department, Zone 2; Breakthrough Atlanta and the Buckhead Branch of the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library.

“We are excited to be able to continue the tradition of the Garden Hills Ice Cream Social into its 40th year,” said Emily Wingfield, event co-chair. “It is always a great time to catch up with old friends, cool off with a yummy treat and let the kids enjoy themselves. After this long, hot summer the dunk tank is sounding better and better!”

September historically marks the beginning of the 2011-2012 arts season in Atlanta, and as you’ll see over the next few pages, there is plenty to be excited about. For this year’s preview, we picked shows, concerts and exhibitions we’re excited about, and you can also visit AtlantaPlanIt.com to get more suggestions for arts and culture.

Theatre

When executive director Freddie Ashley sent out an emergency call in February that the future of Actor’s Express (actors-express.com) was in jeopardy, the community responded. Ashley said $200,000 was needed by the summer to present the 2011-12 season. In mid-August, Ashley said 80 percent of the fundraising goal had been met and the season is going forward.

The new season opens with the massive Broadway hit musical Spring Awakening, which continues through Oct. 1. “It was a perfect choice to open the season,” Ashley said. “It’s contemporary, audacious and very much about what Actor’s Express does as a company.”

Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, about a abandoned children surviving on an isolated farm in middle American, runs from Oct. 27 to Nov. 26. “The play was one of the big hits of the Humana Festival and received standing ovations after every performance,” Ashley said.

Coming later in the season is Next Fall, about a gay man who loses his partner in a tragic accident and must turn to his deeply religious parents for answers; a revival of Tennessee William’s Night of the Iguana; and the musical version of the campy 70s film Xanadu, which Ashley said will make a “perfect summer show” to close the season.

The new season is already underway at Theatrical Outfit (theatricaloutfit.org) with the world premiere of Calvin Alexander Ramsey’s The Green Book, a controversial and compelling story based on fact about a code book used by traveling African-Americans in the Jim Crow era that listed safe lodgings, services and restaurants. The play centers on Holocaust survivor who refuses to stay in a segregated hotel and uses The Green Book to find other lodgings. He’s pitted against a black man who wants segregation to continue because he’s making money off the book. The play continues through Sept. 11.

Artistic Director Tom Key said the rest of the season is shaping up to be one of TO’s best. From Oct. 12 to Nov. 6, Freud’s Last Session by Mark St. Germain see the famed psychoanalyst clash with C.S. Lewis over love, sex, and the existence of God. “It’s a very moving play, watching these two men find their compassion for each other. It’s also very funny.”

In February, the Tony Award-winning Red, about abstract painter Mark Rothko working with his assistant to complete the color panels at the Four Seasons restaurant. In April, children of all ages will delight at the stage production of Madeline L’eEngle’s sci-fi classic, A Wrinkle in Time.
“We already have a design team working on the show,” Key said. “They are coming up with ways to trigger the imagination.”

More Theatre Picks: We’re excited about the Alliance Theatre’s (alliancetheatre.org) staging of Cold War drama Golda’s Balcony (Oct. 12-30), which pits the late Israeli prime minister against Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger in this Cold War drama and the southeast premiere of the Tony Award-winning hit, God of Carnage (Jan. 11-29). At Synchronicity Theatre (synchrotheatre.com) Sarah Ruhl’s celebrated comedy, In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play (Sept. 29 – Oct. 30), is the simple story of a husband and wife in the Victorian era, who are given a strange new object to help enliven their love life. 7 Stages (7stages.org) welcomes performance artist Tim Miller for his new one man show Lay of the Land (Nov. 10-13), while Horizon Theatre (horizontheatre.com) presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Ruined (Sept. 16 – Oct. 16).

For Kids

The Center for Puppetry Arts (puppet.org) has started its season with The Ugly Duckling (which continues through Sept. 18). Adapted and directed by Michael Haverty, the show features music and puppetry, performed live by a two-person cast, and is specially created to engage younger audiences.

Based on the beloved classic by Hans Christian Andersen, The Ugly Duckling follows a young bird who simply doesn’t fit in with the other ducks in the pond. Helped by some friendly forest sprites, the duckling sets out to explore the wonders of the pond.

“I want kids and adults to just have a really good time! Dance to the music, laugh with the silly Forest Sprites, and cheer when the Duckling discovers he’s a swan,” said Artistic Associate Michael Haverty.

Artistic Director Jon Ladwig also encouraged patrons to buy tickets now for Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, which is back after last year’s premiere sold out all 91 performances.

More Picks for Kids: Last season’s other surprise hit was Theatre du Reve’s (theatredureve.com) adaptation of the classic French film, The Red Balloon. It will be back Jan. 26 – Feb. 12 at 7 Stages.

Music

Rialto Center for the Arts (rialtocenter.org) 2011-2012 marks its 15^th anniversary with a unique mix of the best jazz, world music, dance, and more. Georgia State University renovated the 95-year-old theatre, spurring the revitalization of the Fairlie-Poplar district in downtown.

The birthday season will be a year-long celebration with performance-related events featuring local artists and scholars, in-depth master classes, thought-provoking talks, and more.  Patrons will find that each and every evening of the Rialto’s upcoming season will be an experience to celebrate arts and culture in the heart of the city.

The season opens Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m. with A Night in Treme: The Musical Majesty of New Orleans featuring Kermit Ruffins, Soul Rebels Brass Band and more.

Over at the Woodruff Arts Center, the Atlanta Symphony (atlantasymphony.org) kicks off the season Sept. 22-25 with Robert Spano conducting Beethoven’s 9^th and Wagner’s Ring. Guests include soprano Christine Brewer and the ASO Chorus. Joshua Bell will perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto Sept. 30 – Oct. 2.

More Music Picks: For pop fans, British sensation Adele will be at The Fox Theatre (foxtheatre.org) on Oct. 16 in support of her album multi-platinum album 21, which has gone to number 1 in more than 20 countries. The DeKalb Symphony Orchestra (dekalbsymphony.com) also has an impressive line-up this season at venues around the community. The season kicks off Sept. 27 with special guest violinist Ciaschini at the Marvin Cole Auditorium in Clarkston.

Dance

The Atlanta Ballet (atlantaballet.com) has a year of creative collaborations, unexpected stories and work produced by some of the world’s most influential choreographers lined up for the 2011-12 season.

The season begins Oct. 21-23 with prominent choreographer James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons, a story of youth, discovery, and living to the fullest while exploring the passage of every man’s life.

This year most monumental collaboration is the world premiere of  The Princess and The Goblin (Feb. 10-19) co-produced by Atlanta Ballet and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and created by one of the world’s greatest living choreographers, Twyla Tharp. Incorporating a cast of professional dancers and children to depict a fairy tale featuring a courageous young girl as she confronts the trails of coming with age, Tharp said the new show is a project 20 years in the making.

More Dance Picks: CORE Performance Company (coredance.org) celebrates its 25^th anniversary with the premiere of two new dance works – The Point and The Moment Between – at Decatur High School’s new auditorium stage on Sept. 9 -10.

Visual Art

The High Museum of Art (high.org) will stage another blockbuster exhibition, Picasso To Warhol, in conjunction with New York’s Museum of Modern Art from Oct. 15 to April 29. More than 100 world-famous works will be assembled for this show.

Besides the exhibition namesakes, there will also be iconic work by Henri Matisse, Constantin Brancusi, Piet Mondrian, Fernand Léger, Marcel Duchamp, Giorgio De Chirico, Joan Miró, Romare Bearden, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Louise Bourgeois and Jasper Johns.

More Visual Art Picks: MODA – Museum of Design Atlanta (museumofdesign.org) will host Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Posters from Oct. 2 – Jan. 1. The posters offer an overview of strategies employed by government agencies, community activists, grassroots organizations and motivated citizens to educate the world about HIV/AIDS. Blocks of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which is housed here in Atlanta, will be on rotation throughout the exhibition period.