HOLDEN & ARTS ASSOCIATES

Hello Friends,

We are honored to launch our touring roster for the 25 - 26 season. Every year, we work collaboratively with our artistic partners, both new and returning, as they consider what to offer in the year ahead. We look closely at budgets, scale, age recommendations, and production needs, but we also talk about the moments that brought us joy and inspiration, fed our curiosity, and gave us new insights. We think about the experience for the audience. Assembling a roster is much like putting together a season. A balancing act. One that requires research and strategy but also faith and gumption. 

 

We seek to represent performances that are fulfilling on many levels and bring artistic excellence together with educational and community values. We’re proud of this year's offerings and are so excited to talk and plan with you.

 

We have fantastic literature-based productions such as the music-filled Hare & Tortoise from tutti frutti which celebrates moving at your own pace; the new Wind In the Willows from Theatre Heroes which brings the classic story to life with stunning projected illustrations; and for teens and general audiences, we have the return of the beloved Nearly Lear from Susanna Hamnett that takes on King Lear through the eyes of the fool. 

 

We also have productions that embrace science and technology, perfect for STEAM learning goals or any audience member who wants to explore the world around them. Musician Kaki King and video artists GLITCH dive into the world of Bugs with state of the art video mapping and original music. Moss Piglet from Windmill Theater Co. features tardigrades, real life microscopic action heroes, as they survive in a changing world. And Secrets of Space from Cahoots NI follows two sisters as they consider the great mystery of outer space as well as major scientific discoveries.

 

Many of our productions celebrate specific cultures, from Honolulu Theater for Youth’s The Great Race which tells the story of the Chinese Zodiac to La Maleta de Maebelle (Maebelle’s Suitcase) from Glass Half Full where Maebelle helps a bird return to Columbia, their mutual birthplace. GRAMMY Winners 123 Andrés' bilingual concerts celebrate community and kindness.  Talking Birds and Golden Fish from David Gonzalez unites animal tales from around the world for a global storytelling concert. 

 

We know that attending performance arts events is a powerful and joyful experience for the whole family and our artists excel in performing for all ages. We have GRAMMY Nominee Uncle Jumbo who shares messages of positivity and love set to a hip hop beat. Brush Theatre’s Doodle POP returns to dazzle families with mischievous drawings that take on a life of their own. Being Beethoven from CDP Theatre Producers serves as an extraordinary introduction to the classical canon. And in Monkeys Everywhere, the struggle to concentrate erupts into pure silliness as the audience becomes the monkeys in Garry Starr’s mind. 

 

There is so much joy in these productions. But these are meaningful journeys too. The characters at the center of these stories have big questions about themselves and about the world, often with difficult choices to make. In Finding North from David Gonzalez, John P. Parker puts his own safety at risk in order to help free enslaved people. In Maddi’s Fridge from Childsplay, Sophie must decide if helping her friend is worth breaking a promise. In Hero: Boy From Troy from Nambi E. Kelley and First Woman, young John Lewis must figure out what to do with his anger at the injustice in the world - how to make good trouble. 

 

Each year is full of unknowns. Each year is full of opportunities and challenges. But what we do know is that these stories and experiences matter. This audience matters. The work we do together, on stage and off, matters to our communities and to the world. 

 

We are grateful to represent this diverse group of artists and productions, each with a valuable perspective. Whether this is your 41st year working with Holden & Arts Associates or your very first, we want to hear from you. 

 

Your partners in the work,

Spring Karlo, Stacy Meshbane, and Sarah Saltwick