The Editorial Staff has been idle for too long, and we feel that it's time for another issue of the KAT's Meow, Kensington Arts Theatre's online newsletter. Read on for the latest on what's on stage now, what's coming up, and all of the happenings at the Town Center in the past few months.

Into the Woods, We Go...BOOM!

Running now... Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine Showing: March 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 8pm and March 21 at 3pm. One of the most frequent images in folk literature is that of a character traveling through a dark forest. The symbolism of the woods in these fairy tales can be explained as "the place in which inner darkness is confronted and where uncertainty is resolved about whom one is or wants to be." Into the Woods is a conglomeration of new and old storybook characters on a journey of growth and self-discovery. Click here for the ITW page at KAT Online » Coming Soon... tick, tick...BOOM! by Jonathan Larson Showing: April 30, May 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 19*, 21 and 22 at 8pm and May 16 at 3pm. tick, tick...BOOM! is the musical tale of Jonathan Larson's days as a struggling artist in SoHo - an artist on the verge of exploding! It's 1990, and Rent is still six years away from its Broadway debut. Jonathan is on the verge of 30 -- faced with life-altering choices and fighting to keep his dreams. His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city, his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue; but he's still waiting tables and trying to write the great American musical. With fourteen songs, ten characters, three actors, and a band, tick, tick...BOOM! takes you on the playwright/composer's journey that led to the Broadway blockbuster, Rent. Click here for the TTB page at KAT Online »

Stop & Think

Well KAT did it again -- another first for the community and for KAT. Our first children's musical (for, and by kids): Stop & Think by Dottie Holmberg-Waddell. This was an amazing experience for us, for the cast of sublime community children and the Kensington area. The show was directed by Elizabeth French, KAT Artistic Director, and Diego Prieto, KAT Member-at-Large and produced by KAT President, Craig Pettinati. The cast consisted of 13 local kids from ages 6 to 13 and Marie Coyle, KAT Secretary, as Mother Earth. To recap the show, it addressed issues that children come across and deal with every day. To better understand and incorporate the creative process, the cast talked in depth about these issues (such as peer-pressure, drug abuse and caring for the environment) and how they affected each of them personally. The cast learned all of the songs and choreography by putting in countless hours of practice and classes towards our one goal - OUTREACH! Every cast member was unique and worked with the others to embrace differences and put together an unforgettable show. In doing so, the entire cast learned about the craft of theater and many of its integral parts, like improvisation, expression, blocking and dance. Each child worked very hard to create their own persona that truly represented who they were and what they wanted to be. The show ran for two weekends with two performances each Saturday and Sunday. At each performance we had several booths that different organizations sponsored. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provided an endless supply of pamphlets and information on topics such as drug use, tobacco, alcohol, bullying, and child abuse. Special thanks to Brian Campbell of SAMHSA for manning their booth and answering questions at the shows. For more information about SAMHSA and its programs, please visit their web site. Another booth was set up by Stage Door Theater Company, a summer theater camp dedicated to the advancement and training of young students who wish to learn and challenge themselves through theater. Their program provides a positive outlet for physical and mental growth, cultural enrichment, creative expression, improved communication skills, self-confidence, and self-esteem. This summer, they are producing the musical Footloose, directed by Stop & Think's co-director, Diego Prieto. For more information, please check out their web site. Delicious concessions were also available to entertain our taste buds. KAT House Manager, Monica Rouco, outdid herself with creations like neon-iced sugar cookies and 'stop and think' cakes, and everything was snatched up pretty quickly. We thank all of our generous supporters, our Board, and the community for all their time and energy spent at making kids futures brighter - THANK YOU! The show was a huge success and got a great review in the Gazette. Check it out for yourself and see a picture of our cast in action. The Mayor also attended and raved about the show. All the kids got a chance to meet her and felt honored to have had the mayor present. They were in fact quite star-struck and nervous at the thought of her attending. We thank everyone involved especially our cast of wonderful kids who never stopped for a second on their quest to perform this great show. `Also special thanks to the parents who were always there to drop off their kids and pick them up. You all ROCK! – Diego Prieto (KAT Member-at-Large) Click here to go to the Stop & Think Page »

A Few Good Members

Hello KAT supporters! My name is Paula Phipps and I'm the new Director of Membership. I'm thrilled to be a part of this incredible organization and look forward to working with each of you at some point in time. My first experience with KAT was performing in Cabaret, and what a great experience it was -- I'm still here, aren't I! My goal in this position to keep the membership for KAT growing so that we can become an even stronger presence, not only in Kensington, but in the theater community. In order to do that, I hope you will renew your membership each season and bring friends to the shows and introduce them to the wonderful world of KAT! If you have any ideas or suggestions for fun membership events, please let me know. You can contact me through my KAT email address. See you soon! – Paula Phipps (KAT Membership Director) Click here to go to KAT Online Membership »

Money, Money, Money

Hello everyone. The fund raising department of KAT has just recently started a new project. We are now offering low cost advertising space on the programs for our productions. Our first attempt went quite well with our first ad sold to Kip and Evelyn Nicely from Nicely Done Kitchens during our children's production Stop & Think. Our current program for Into the Woods features two ads from Stage Door Theater Company, a summer theater camp for children, and Vox Populi, a DC a cappella group, respectively. If anyone is interested in advertising to hundreds of theater patrons like yourselves at very little cost, please contact me at zarconek@yahoo.com or check out the main KAT website and click the Contributions link at the left to find out how many different ways you can contribute to KAT. As always, donations are fully tax deductible as we are a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. – Kevin Zarcone (KAT Fundraising Director) Click here to go to KAT Online Contributions »