ARIEL’s first show of the 2016 season, The Little Red Hen, opens February 26 at 7pm and performs again at 2pm and 7pm on Saturday, February 27 at Notre Dame High School, 455 Palma Dr, Salinas. We are extremely grateful to Notre Dame High School for their support in our time of need.
Tickets are still available on-line at www.arieltheatrical.org by clicking on the “Purchase Tickets” link or by calling the Box Office at (831) 775-0962, Monday through Friday, 10am to 4 pm.
As many know, on Saturday, February 13, 2016, ARIEL experienced the most terrifying moment at our home, The Karen Wilson Children’s Theatre. The Dick Bruhn building, adjacent to ours, was engulfed in a 5 alarm fire and threatened our very existence.
We are happy to say – we are still standing, operating and producing our shows. Although there is long road ahead of us due to issues caused by smoke and water presence in our building, we are moving forward with our 2016 season.
To say the least, we would not be here if not for the valiant and heroic efforts of the Salinas and surrounding Fire Departments. They went above and beyond to protect our home and everything inside. For nearly 7 hours, crews fought stray embers on the roof, doused the exterior structure walls to keep them cool and fire free, and physically moved things from our bottom floor to a safer and dry area on the main floor. We are forever grateful.
We would also like to extend our thanks to the Salinas community who have opened up their “homes” to provide us with off-site rehearsal and performance spaces. On the Monday following the fire, ARIEL was back in rehearsal for its upcoming production of The Little Red Hen and Pinocchio.
As Gail said in her interview with the Californian, “We have lost so little. “What we have is inconvenience. What we could have had was a disaster. We could have been looking at the ashes.”
Instead, we are looking forward to the future.
See all of Gail’s interview and read more information about ARIEL at:
February 19, 2016 … Salinas, CA – For the past 15 years, ARIEL Theatrical has been a valued member of the Downtown Salinas community, bringing thousands of visitors to Oldtown for spirited performances of uplifting stories performed by children of all ages.
For the past 30 years, ARIEL has been a valued member of the Monterey County region, drawing schoolchildren and families from the greater tri-county area to its performances at Sherwood Hall in Salinas and its home, The Karen Wilson Children’s Theatre.
Throughout the last 30 years, more than 100,000 children have been, in some way, engaged by what ARIEL does. Let’s do the math: 15 + 30 = 100,000. ARIEL has indeed created a successful formula that supports its mission of helping children learn to lead principle-centered lives.
This past week, ARIEL was put at risk by a blazing fire that destroyed the Dick Bruhn’s building in Oldtown. Through the courageous efforts of firefighters from throughout the County, ARIEL’s home was saved. Our appreciation for these efforts is immeasurable and our thanks are unquantifiable. We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude.
So, we recommit our efforts to bring children’s theatre to the families in this area, to showcase uplifting, inspiring and positive stories that bring light into the lives of those who attend.
We are thankful for our insurance coverage, but we’re not out of the woods. This event has challenged staff, Board, volunteers and participants to meet our performance deadlines in the next month. With the help of this community, which has supported ARIEL for three decades, we know we can do it. Please consider helping us meet this challenge with your time, energy or monetary contribution $15 or $30 and help us keep our winning formula intact. For more information and to donate go to www.arieltheatrical.org or call 831-775-0976.
