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AECT Announces 31st Season Productions
All-of-us Express Children’s Theatre (AECT) is proud to be celebrating their 31st year of producing children’s theater in the mid-Michigan area. For the 2019-20 year, AECT will be bringing four performances (including a musical) to the stage for area youth and families. The performances and performance schedules are as follows:
Fall: "Poe: Dreams of Madness"
Oct. 25-27 and Nov. 1-3
Winter: "Robin Hood"
Feb. 7-9 and Feb. 14-16
Spring: "The Fantastic Mr. Fox"
April 24-26 and May 1-3. It will take place at the Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing!
Auditions for "Poe: Dreams of Madness" to Take Place in August
The AECT will be holding open auditions for its upcoming fall production of “Poe: Dreams of Madness" later this month. Auditions will take place Thursday, Aug. 22 and Friday, Aug. 23 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road. Area youth, ages 9-18, only need to attend one of the audition times and must be available for call-backs. Additionally, area youth can sign up for backstage crew positions, such as makeup, costumes and tech.
"Poe: Dreams of Madness" is based on the writings of famous author Edgar Allan Poe. Audiences will hear the thrilling retellings of Poe's greatest works, including "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven." For more information, visit www.cityofeastlansing.com/allofus, call (517) 333-2580, ext.0 or email Artistic Director Liz Cooke at ecooke@cityofeastlansing.com.
Camp Feature – Snow White Drama Camp
The East Lansing Department of Parks, Recreation & Arts (ELPRA) still has openings for its "Snow White" drama camp. This one-week camp, for youth ages 8-14, provides participants the opportunity to put on a small performance of the classic fairy tale during the last day of camp. The camp begins Aug. 12 and goes from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Thursday. On Friday, the camp will go from 9 a.m.-noon, with the performance beginning at 11 a.m. The cost for the camp is $155 and extended care is available for an extra charge. To register, call (517) 333-2580 ext. 0 or register online at https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/815/Online-Registration.
Sign Up for Adult Softball League!
ELPRA will begin offering an adult softball league starting Tuesday, Aug. 20, with a registration deadline of Friday, Aug. 9. The City of East Lansing will have a men’s and coed double-header league on various nights of the week. Information packets will be emailed to all 2018 teams. If you wish to be added to the information list, please email Recreation Coordinator Jim Jennings at JLjennings@cityofeastlansing.com.
Update on East Lansing Park Improvements
ELPRA continues to prepare for several upcoming park improvement projects, including the Patriarche Park Ball Field Improvement Project, the Bailey Park Improvement Project and the White Park Trail Extension and Natural Features Enhancement Project. Here are some key updates on these projects.
Patriarche Park Ball Field Improvement Project
The Patriarche Park Ball Field Improvement Project is scheduled to begin at the end of July and is expected to be completed by the end of October. Improvements to the park will include renovating the four existing baseball fields, making the fields accessible to all community members, removing the fence around the park and more. This project is being funded by a $50,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) and Fiscal Year 2020 income tax revenues.
Bailey Park Improvement Project
East Lansing City Council recently approved a resolution accepting the Development Project Agreement for the MNRTF grant for the Bailey Park Improvement Project in the amount of $219,000. With City Council's approval of the resolution, the project can move forward and is expected to begin this fall.
In addition to the grant, the project is being funded by four additional sources: $35,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds, $25,000 contributed by the Capital Area Housing Partnership, $14,000 raised by the Bailey Community Association and $3,000 from the general fund. The funds will be used to install a second play structure, a concrete community plaza, a 10-foot concrete pathway loop around the park and more.
White Park Trail Extension and Natural Features Enhancement Project
The White Park Trail Extension and Natural Features Enhancement Project will include the extension of the Northern Tier Trail through Albert A. White Memorial Park and improvements to the park’s natural areas. Funding for the project includes $469,000 in Ingham County Trails and Parks Millage funding and a $300,000 MNRTF grant. Construction plans are currently being developed for the project and construction is expected to begin in early fall.
Small Dog Park Opens in East Lansing
The City of East Lansing is excited to announce that a new 5,625-square-foot, fenced-in area for small dogs is now open to the public at the Northern Tail Dog Park, 6400 Abbot Road. The new area, located in the northeast section of the park, creates a space for dogs weighing less than 22 pounds to enjoy off-leash fun with other dogs that are similar in size. The Northern Tail Dog Park is open from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily and it is free and open to all community members. All of the Northern Tail Dog Park rules will apply in this new area. Community members can learn more about the Northern Tail Dog Park here.
One Book, One Community 2019 Program Taking Place this Month
The City of East Lansing and Michigan State University (MSU) have announced the book selection for the 2019 One Book, One Community (OBOC) program: “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the America City” by Author Matthew Desmond.
Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book transports readers to the poorest neighborhoods in Milwaukee to tell the heartbreaking, real-life stories of eight families struggling to keep a roof over their heads. By living among these families in 2008 and 2009, Desmond is able to provide readers with a ground-level view of one of 21st-century America’s most devastating problems and shine a probing light on the human cost of America’s immense inequality.
As part of the 2019 OBOC program, Desmond will visit the East Lansing – MSU Community this month. Community Members are invited to a Community Conversation with Matthew Desmond on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road. Desmond will also speak during the MSU Fall Convocation at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center, 534 Birch Road, on Monday, Aug. 26 at 9 a.m.
For additional information and events, visit www.onebookeastlansing.com. All OBOC events are FREE and open to the community.
