Back To School! EbzB Arts Integration Showcase.

Watch EbzB’s Arts Integration Showcase  - A Sampling of Live and Streaming Performances and Workshops for 2022.  

Contact Us for Booking!

EbzB Announces Live and Virtual Performances For Students, Artists-In-Schools Programming, Educators, and Presenters.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

Watch EbzB’s Arts Integration Showcase  - A Sampling of Live and Streaming Performances and Workshops for 2022.  Contact Us for a Booking!

PERFORMANCES

EbzB offers arts-in-education performances, residencies, and workshops for students. Additionally, EbzB offers professional development for educators. 55-minute versions of most EbzB Productions performances are available for schools or special events. Study guides, audience etiquette tip sheets, and lesson plans are available to promote a deeper understanding of the theatre-going experience. Workshops and residencies are available in tandem with a performance or in stand-alone form. Special rates apply.

Integrated With National and State Education Standards

EbzB Productions will work with you to design live or virtual arts programming that supports your students, your goals, your tools, and your syllabus.  All of our work offers lessons in Resilience and Hope.

Keeping in mind that Covid19 may alter your arts-integration planning,  EbzB also offers performances via online streaming. If you book us for a live performance, and circumstances change, we can provide a virtual opportunity instead:

The Wrights of Passage (Grades 1-8)
Closed Captioning in English and Spanish
Study guide and virtual post-show discussion with artists.

War Bonds: The Songs and Letters of World War II  (Grades 3-12)
Closed Captioning in English and Spanish
Study guide and virtual post-show discussion with artists.

The Night Before Christmas Carol  (Grades 3-12)
Closed Captioning in English and Spanish
Study guide and virtual post-show discussion with artists.

In One Era and Out The Other (Grades 6-12)
Study guide and virtual post-show discussion with artists.

Native (Grades 9-12)
Closed Captioning in English and Spanish
Study guide and virtual post-show discussion with artists.

THEATRE ARTS RESIDENCIES AND WORKSHOPS

EbzB has adapted our in-school residency for virtual learning. Students will be guided in creating a devised performance from original oral histories that they gather themselves. As always, we do a needs assessment with faculty before we choose specific topics related directly to the curriculum. Our work helps to meet National and State Education Standards.

EbzB offers an Online Classroom that includes interactive assignments and lesson plans. Supporting materials are also available. Once we are contracted, you will receive an access code.

We are also offering offline options for remote learning.

We encourage School Cultural Representatives and Presenters to contact us for information and fees. In recognition of economic concerns due to COVID-19, we have reduced our rates. However, grants for bringing performances and residencies such as ours into schools are available through the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County and the Chatham County Arts Council.

We are all in this together. Please let us know how we may help you meet your arts integration needs. 

-Serena Ebhardt and David zum Brunnen
EbzB Productions

 

Compliment - Wrights of Passage

"Please give my best to the entire group... The performance [Wrights of Passage] was great and we will certainly have you back."

-Ray Jordan, 

Executive Director, 

Sampson County Exposition Center

From the Sampson County Independent... Wrights of Passage

Wrights of Passage Entertains and Enlightens Sampson County Students

One by one, a group of students from Butler Avenue School walked up to a microphone sitting just below the stage at the Sampson County Agri-Exposition Center. The students were all part of one of eight performances of the Class Acts-Sampson CenterStage Performing Arts Series.

Thursday’s performance, “Wrights of Passage,” was presented to third- and fourth-grade students from across Sampson County. It was the story of the passion and focus of the Wright Brothers, who wanted to prove man could fly. During their portrayal of the brothers, an abstract replica of the famous flyer came to life on the stage.

The students were all part of the cast, reading segments of the script and helping tell the story.

“I really liked the way the actors involved the students in the play,” Butler Avenue School’s AIG teacher Christie Tyndall said. “They had cards for them to read and the actor met with the students prior to the play starting and told them what to expect.”

Students Jose Bonilla and Makaylee Knight, third graders, were both part of the action.

“I was excited about being part of the play by reading the cards,” Jose shared. “The actors had lots of jokes that I liked.”

Makaylee, too, liked the actor’s and their portrayal of the historic Wright brothers.

“I really liked how the actors talked about building the airplane while they went through building a plane on stage,” she said.

In the last 19 years, more than 100,000 students have been positively impacted by the series through performances presented in partnership with the local school systems and provided free-of-charge through the generous financial contributions of many individuals, businesses and corporate sponsors from across Sampson County. Since the inception of Class Acts, supporters have contributed over $500,000 to fund the series.

“Class Acts performances expose our students to new cultures and they examine history and foster creative thinking,” Ray Jordan, executive director of the Sampson County Exposition Center, said. “The students are exposed to something different and offered a different point of view, and their way of thinking is challenged in a fun and entertaining way.”

According to Jordan, the performances are not only entertaining, but they also provide students with an opportunity to learn in a creative atmosphere that adds to and enhances each student’s overall educational experiences.

During the past week, over 8,000 students and teachers have filled the seats in Heritage Hall to experience the magic and excitement of attending one of eight live performing arts events. Students in grades first through eighth attend the shows.

This year’s series kicked off Tuesday with pop/rock trio Big Bang Book for students in first and second grade. Big Bang Boom filled the room with children’s music with a pop sensibility performing children’s favorites as well as their own original songs for young audiences.

Wednesday’s performance for seventh- and eighth-graders was an a cappela group, Transit Vocal Band, based in North Carolina. The musical group traced the development of the contemporary a cappela genre, and explained how science and technology enhance sound and the human voice.

The final performance for the year, the Beast, provides fifth- and sixth-graders a mix of hip hop and jazz with tap dancers, puppeteers and spoken word artists. The performers will present “SANKOFA: African American Music from Spirituals to Hip Hop,” from which students will learn elements of storytelling, improvisation and call and response in American music.

“It’s important that our students are offered different opportunities like those that Class Acts provides,” Jordan said. “Not only are the shows fun, they are very educational. When choosing the performances we present, we always examine the curriculum connections to insure that each performance aligns with each grade levels course of study.”

By Kristy D. Carter

kcarter@clintonnc.com

Copy Editor Kristy D. Carter can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 2588.

2019 –– HAPPY NEW YEAR! 📅

EbzB is genuinely excited about 2019.

We hope you will celebrate in the new year with us!

We are working on two different arts-integration residencies in the Chatham County schools of North Carolina. We will be creating plays with themes of economics and technology. Over one-hundred elementary school students will take part in this process. Thank you, Chatham County Arts Council!

The Wrights of Passage is scheduled for a spring tour across North Carolina.  We are so delighted to continue bringing this show to audiences for the sixteenth season. Thank you Sampson CenterStage Class Acts Youth Theatre Series.

In One Era and Out The Other will have students at Heritage Middle School in Wake Forest, North Carolina singing and dancing in the aisles as they learn AP History.

War Bonds will be honoring veterans in Vidalia, Georgia.

––And our newest production Native by Ian Finley is headed for the Valerie Theatre in Inverness, Florida.

2019 begins EbzB Productions's twenty-first season. We will be adding more to our calendar as the pages fly by.

We truly hope to see you and celebrate the new year after the show.
Make plans to visit us at www.ebzb.org

-Serena & David
EbzB

Orville? Right? Wright! #ebzb #WrightsOfPassage @UnitedArtsCounc https://t.co/upJb7dEYto

Orville? Right? Wright!#ebzb #WrightsOfPassage @UnitedArtsCounc pic.twitter.com/upJb7dEYto

— EbzB Productions (@ebzb) October 26, 2018

from Twitter https://twitter.com/ebzb

October 26, 2018 at 05:51PM
via IFTTT

The Wrights of Passage Take Flight at Leesville Elementary School on Friday. #ebzb #artseducation #wcpss #unitedarts https://t.co/4h2eefPvE7

The Wrights of Passage Take Flight at Leesville Elementary School on Friday. #ebzb #artseducation #wcpss #unitedarts pic.twitter.com/4h2eefPvE7

— EbzB Productions (@ebzb) October 25, 2018

from Twitter https://twitter.com/ebzb

October 25, 2018 at 02:08PM
via IFTTT

Arts Education Spotlight, Chatham County, NC

http://www.chathamartscouncil.org/arts-education-spotlight-march-is-students-month-to-shine/

David and Serena,

Thank you for the wonderful performance yesterday!  I hate that I had to leave for an IEP meeting and miss the end of the show but the staff and students were VERY complimentary about the show and are excited about the 5th grade performance next month:-)  

I cannot wait myself!

-Allison Buckner, Principal

Virginia Cross Elementary, Siler City, NC

=====================

Thanks so much for yesterday's "Wrights of Passage!"

The VCE students were so attentive, and they were full of questions during the talkback afterward. It was fabulous to see!

I'm so excited to see the fifth graders' work as the residency moves forward.

Warmly,

Cheryl Chamblee

Executive Director

Chatham Arts Council

Life Changer - Wrights of Passage

While teaching student workshops this week and enabling classes to create a play called "The Timeline of Aviation," a student approached me. He looked angry and sad. He told me that he didn't like learning about the Enola Gay airplane because it had been used to drop bombs on Japan. His family is Japanese. He is 9 years old.

I searched for something, anything to heal the moment.

I said, "I think I understand how you feel. Do you know that my family is from Germany? We were considered enemies and called Nazis by Americans during the same war. I don't like that either. But my hope is, that in teaching you how the invention of the airplane has been put to use in the past, that you will understand how it might be used to heal the future. We must now work together as one to heal."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

He nodded his head, but continued to look unsettled. He squeezed my hand. I squeezed back. We parted. I hoped.

-Serena

Compliment: Wrights of Passage

Hi David,

Once again, I thank you for six great performances of "The Wrights of Passage" to the fourth grade students here in Davie County. It is understandable why the North Carolina Teachers' Association sponsored the production to that grade level. Your acting ability also really shines when you perform during a fire drill at one school and the loss of power at another. Way to go!

Again, many thanks,
Sidniee Suggs
Davie County Arts Council, NC

Study Guide Resource: AP US History - Notes, Outlines, Vocabulary and Quizzes

AP US History - Notes, Outlines, Vocabulary and Quizzes

Wrights of Passage - January 2013, Davie County Arts Council, Mocksville, NC

The arts council’s Arts in Education program continues into the New Year with all Fourth Grade students in the six elementary schools seeing a play about the historical aviation story of Orville and Wilbur Wright.  They will see a ten foot replica of the aviator’s early airplane being assembled as they visualize this historical moment in time.

For more information call the Davie County Arts Council at 336.751.3112.  Purchase your ticket(s) for any of the upcoming performances or events by calling the Box Office Monday-Friday from Noon until 5:00 p.m. (336-751-3000.)

Compliment: Arts-In-Education Residency

To EbzB

I cannot thank you enough for all of your efforts.  The artists that came to Pollard were tremendous and the impact they had on the students will be seen continuously as time passes.  Thank you for everything!
~ Dr. B.

Dr. Justin Bartholomew
Principal
Margaret B. Pollard

Compliment: Wrights of Passage

David and Serena--

Thank you so much for your wonderful presentation [Wrights of Passage]. I loved every minute of it, and when you cried the words "He is airborne"--a thrill went down my back.

I cannot wait to see you in some production again in the future.

Best,
Garry

Garry J. Crites, PhD
Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Duke Continuing Studies

Wrights of Passage Statistics by Stephen Wall

I thought I would just share that I had the chance the other night to look back over our many shows, and by my count our last performance of "Wrights of Passage" in Shelton, Washington was our 250th performance! I would imagine we have performed this show for well over 100,000 people by this point.

Other fascinating trivia, is that we have performed the show in 42 NC counties (out of 100), plus, of course, shows in SC, NJ, OH and WA. Also, Wake County still holds the lead with 30 performances, but Davie placed a strong second with 21 performances. Orange was third with 18 performances, with Clark County, Ohio and Cleveland County, NC completing the top 5 with 13 performances each.

Well, just thought I would share, since we are occasionally asked about the number of times we have done the shows during our Q&As.

Again, I trust that all is well, and I hope to see you soon.

Stephen Wall

Thank You: The Wrights of Passage, Olympia, Washington

Serena,

Thanks for sharing your talents for the benefit of our children, for all the extra work customizing a "Pacific NW verson" of the show, and your pleasant manner.

Wishing you safe travels,

Kris Bartruff
Olympia Junior Programs
Olympia, WA

David zum Brunnen and Stephen Wall in
"The Wrights of Passage" by Serena Ebhardt

Wrights of Passage in Olympia, WA

The Wrights of Passage Takes Flight in Davie County, NC 10/14 - 15/2010