Tales of Anansi April 13, 2013

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (BCBC) celebrates Earth Day 2013 with a family-friendly concert of music and storytelling entitled Tales of Anansi on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 2pm. All tickets are $7 and can be purchased online at www.BrooklynCenterOnline.org or by phone at 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm). The performance is recommended for ages five and up.

The environmental performance group Bash the Trash performs this storytelling concert featuring Anansi the trickster, one of the most important characters in West African and Caribbean folklore. African-inspired musical instruments made from recycled and reused materials accompany the stories and songs. This educational performance combines lessons of environmental awareness with family friendly entertainment.

Following the performance, BCBC will host its sixth annual National Grid Earth Day Celebration on the plaza outside Walt Whitman Theatre. Featuring interactive family activities, educational materials, street performers and give-aways, this community festival will highlight the need for conserving energy, recycling in the home, and heightening awareness of the environmental global issues that we face today. The celebration is free and open to the public.

About Bash the Trash
Bash the Trash Environmental Arts combines science, music, and environmental awareness through performances, educational programs and social initiatives. Whether performing with musical instruments built from discarded or recycled materials, building artworks from found objects, or consulting on environmental arts education, BTT always focuses on how the arts and science work together.

Founded in 1988 by the husband and wife team of John Bertles and Carina Piaggio as “The Experimental Orchestra,” the company originally provided classroom workshops and residencies under the umbrella of cultural institutions such as Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim Museum and the New York Philharmonic. By 1998 they had expanded to include approximately 60 public performances per year as well as workshops around the tri-state area and beyond, as well as professional development and consulting services. In 2008 the company reorganized as Bash the Trash Environmental Arts LLC and began to offer environmental programming across all of the arts, not just music. They currently reach about 50,000 students, teachers and adults annually with a roster of teaching artists and performers that includes musicians, visual artists, storytellers, and dance and theater artists.

Bash the Trash has performed at a variety of venues including the 92nd Street Y (NYC), the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Philadelphia), the Asolo Theatre (Sarasota, FL) and as part of Earth Day on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts’ presentation of Bash the Trash’s Tales of Anansi is sponsored by National Grid.



Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College
2/5 trains to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue

Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org
Box Office: (718) 951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm)
Groups of 15 or more: (718) 951-4600, ext. 3331

About Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Founded in 1954, the mission of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts is to present outstanding performing arts and arts education programs, reflective of Brooklyn’s diverse communities, at affordable prices. Brooklyn Center’s presentations explore both the classical traditions and the boldest contemporary performances, embracing the world culture that defines Brooklyn. Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts welcomes over 65,000 people to the 2,400-seat Walt Whitman Theatre each season, and boasts one of the largest arts education programs in the borough, serving 46,000 schoolchildren from over 300 schools annually with its SchoolTime series. In recognition of its commitment to quality family programming, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts has been recognized as both Brooklyn’s Best Theater or Theater Group for Kids and Brooklyn’s Best Place for Family Bonding by Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect Parents’ Picks Awards.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts’ programs are supported, in part, by public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Major support for the 2012-2013 season is provided by: Brooklyn College; Target; Con Edison; Macy’s Foundation; Mertz Gilmore Foundation; TD Charitable Foundation; National Grid; the Herman Goldman Foundation; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; and Kings Plaza Shopping Center. Additional support provided by CNG Publications and The Brooklyn Eagle. The Sheraton Brooklyn New York Hotel is the official hotel of Brooklyn Center’s 2012-2013 season. Backstage catering is graciously provided by Applebee’s.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges generous support from New York State Assemblywoman Helene E. Weinstein; New York City Councilman Albert Vann and the Department of Youth & Community Development; New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn; and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Kate Levin.

Official Website: http://www.BrooklynCenterOnline.org