2023/2024 School n’ Stage Programs

For more information and to reserve your seats, please contact Jaclyn Wood at jwood@ocean.edu

Kattam and His Tam Tams

Kattam and His Tam Tams

Thursday, November 16, 2023, 10am and 12pm
Recommended for grades K-6

To the sound of the n’goni, djembe, derbouka and dhol, percussionist Kattam invites you to discover Africa, the Middle East and India through rhythm, song and dance! From African rap and desert dance to trance Sufi rhythm and Bollywood dance, Kattam never fails to entertain his audience. Accompanied by his monkey, Takoum, join Kattam on an incredible multicultural adventure!

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company: Red Firecrackers

Nai-Ni Chen DanceWednesday, January 10, 2024, 10am and 12pm
Thursday, January 11, 2024- 10am and 12pm
Best for grades 3-8
A spectacular production of dazzling props, colorful costumes, mesmerizing music, fantastic acrobatics and lively dance by top notch performers telling the story of the origin of the Chinese Lunar New Year.  In this legend, a group of villagers, working, dancing and praying together, defeated a terrifying monster of the ages.  A heartwarming story highlights the intrinsic value of coming together, courage, hard-work and ingenuity.  It also explains some of the origin of the tradition of the Chinese Lunar New Year when everyone is wearing red, giving red envelopes to children, putting up red decorations, and lighting up all the dark corners the red firecracker to make loud noises.

University of Wonder and Imagination

University of Wonder and ImaginationThursday, January 25, 2024, 10am and 12pm
Best for grades 2nd– 6th

The University of Wonder & Imagination is now enrolling students of all ages and magical abilities…and there’s a place with your name on it! Assemble with your fellow students and journey to the most unusual of universities, where the mysterious Professor Bamberg will guide you through this interactive theater experience, and the choices you, the audience, make will shape your unique course. Choose your subjects of study and enter themed rooms (such as Math, Space, and Art!)  You will interact with the liveliest of lecturers and encounter all kinds of problems and puzzles, unlocking your magical powers as you go.

Rhapsody in Black

Rhapsody in BlackThursday, February 1, 2023, 9:30am and 11:30am
Recommended for grades 6-12

Written and performed by LeLand Gantt and developed at NYC’s Actors Studio with Estelle Parsons, Rhapsody in Black is a one-man show that explores LeLand’s personal journey to understanding and eventually transcending racism in America. We follow his spellbinding life story—from an underprivileged childhood in the ghettos of McKeesport, Pennsylvania to teenage experiments with crime and drugs to scholastic achievement and an acting career that lands adult LeLand in situations where he is virtually the only African-American in the room. How he manages to cope with the various psychological effects of consistently being marked “The Other” is recounted in remarkable and exquisitely moving detail, guaranteed to leave lasting impressions.

CelloGayageum

CelloGayageumThursday, February 8, 2024 at 11am
Best for grades 4-12

CelloGayageum is a unique intercultural musical duo consisting of cellist Sol Daniel Kim and Gayageum player Dayoung Yoon. By seamlessly blending the musical cultures and instruments of the cello and Gayageum, they create a harmonious symbiosis in both sound and style. The music is based on Korean traditional music and classical chamber music, with a hint of jazz, bluegrass, and flamenco. The programs will share general knowledge of Korean traditional music and instruments, and the duo’s unique approach to blending Korean music and western music.

Around the Americas with 123 Andrés!

123 Andres

Monday, March 4, 2024, 10am and 12pm
Best for Pre-K-2nd grade

¿Dónde está Juana?/Around the Americas with 123 Andrés!

Andrés can’t find his friend Juana, and our only clue is that she’s somewhere in the Americas.  Travel with song and dance through a lesson in geography that incorporates an introduction to a variety of musical instruments as well as Latin language, culture and music.

 

Kuniko Yamamoto

Kuniko Yamamoto

Thursday, March 21, 2024
Workshops also available

Kuniko Yamamoto enchants audiences of every age with dramatic storytelling using myth and fables from ancient and modern Japan, spiced with social revelations to educate and amuse. Charming Japanese folktales are combined with traditional musical instruments, magical masks, origami and mime to create a spellbinding story.  Kuniko’s marvelous performance promotes cross-cultural communication and understanding in an entertaining way.

 

Finding North

Finding NorthMay 21, 2024 at 10am and 12pm
Recommended for grades 5-12

Finding North brings to life the powerful stories of the strivings, sacrifices and dreams of John P. Parker, a former enslaved man who helped fugitive enslaved people escape through the Underground Railroad in southern Ohio. Drawn from historical research, Parker’s tale is woven together with verbatim interviews and oral histories from contemporary community members who tell their stories of searching for haven in modern-day America. A timely and provocative contribution to the national conversation about prejudice, privilege, and human rights, the play is both an exploration and celebration of the continuing quest for justice and freedom in America.

Coming for a school matinee? Stay after the performance for lunch on campus, and a show in the Novins Planetarium! Please inquire about lunchroom availability and planetarium shows when booking your trip.

The Grunin Center wishes to thank the following Sponsors and Supporters who make the Schools n’ Stage program possible:

  • The Ocean County Board of Commissioners
  • The Wintrode Family Foundation
  • Ocean County College Foundation
  • Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation

Workshops and Master Classes

We offer special opportunities  for selected high school and college students to work directly with our Grunin Presents artists for workshops and master classes here at Ocean County College. Past programs include Neil Berg, Ailey II, The Church Sisters, New York Voices, Bernie Williams, Broadway’s Next Hit! Musical, and Mandy Gonzalez: Fearless.