Sheila Kerrigan, The Mime Who Talks!

Sheila Kerrigan, The Mime Who Talks!

Sheila Kerrigan performs her show, The Scientific Mime, or, What’s Up With Gravity? for children in grades 3-5. Science and Mime?! Once you’ve seen a mime struggling against invisible forces like gravity, pulls, and inertia, they become as real as concrete. After you’ve repeated sound and motion gestures for key vocabulary with the mime, you won’t forget what they mean. Audience interaction, and belly laughs, included.

She teaches workshops on mime, juggling, movement for actors, creating original performance, and collaboration. She teaches teachers and artists how and why to integrate the arts with non-arts curricular content. Author of The Performer’s Guide to the Collaborative Process, she guides young people, including youth at risk, in collaborative creative processes to devise original performances about issues important to them. Formerly a fellow with the A+ Schools Program, she is the president of the Southeast Center for Arts Integration and a member of Alternate ROOTS. She has taught Community-Based Performance at Duke. A member of TOUCH Mime Theater for 17 years, and director for Jelly Educational Theater for 4 years, she has performed and/or taught in 22 states.

 

EDUCATOR CONTACT INFO

kerrigan@mindspring.com

https://www.MimeWhoTalks.com

  2310 Stansbury Rd

Orange

(919) 360-0690

Performance: The Scientific Mime, or, What's Up With Gravity?

Program description

This interactive show is designed for live audiences. (There are also short videos available, for use in the classroom, to introduce key concepts, like force, push and pull, before teaching them. They spark curiosity and enthusiasm in students.)

Mimes struggle with invisible forces. Children struggle with abstract scientific principles. In this show, “The Scientific Mime, or, What’s Up With Gravity?” Kerrigan demonstrates and defines concepts that seem abstract to young people–invisible forces like gravity, forms of energy like sound waves, concepts like weight, pull, push, friction, mass, inertia, and more. Expect silly approaches to “weighty” topics. (Get it? It’s “heavy.” Like gravity! and “light.” Like weightlessness!) Juggling provides a window into force, motion, speed, direction, and gravity. The audience participates in the show by performing sound-and-motion gestures for key vocabulary with the mime.

Also included is a lecture-demonstration about mime that connects to NCSCoS English Language Arts Standard (CCR Anchor Standard RL.1 –  inferences), and an anti-gravity mime piece that sparks the imagination and lifts spirits. The material addresses NC Essential Standards in Science, Forces & Motion, for 3rd through 5th grades.

Science concepts taught in the show: Sound waves; Forces & Motion.  Key vocabulary: gravity, force, push, pull, balanced forces, sound, vibrate, inertia, mass, energy, friction, air.

Booking / scheduling contact

Sheila Kerrigan

   919-360-0690

 kerrigan@mindspring.com

Program detail
Artistic discipline: Theater
Cultural Origin: European, Other
Program type: Assembly/Performance
Population served: Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5
Subject: Language Arts, Science, Theatre Arts
Bilingual: No
Available dates:

Available year-round, beginning March 21, 2022.

Available times:

Available at most times.

Length of program: 45 minutes
Space / technical requirements:

For on-site performances: Set-up: I arrive two hours before show-time to set up. I need someone to meet me, let me into the space and help with tech.

Stage: • either: a proscenium stage (24′ width by 18′ depth by 10′ ceiling height minimum dimensions); or: a gym floor with audience seating on one side on bleachers; • the audience must be able to see the floor •a smooth, clean floor suitable for dance—(no splinters, uneven surfaces, nails, or cracks).

Sound: • I bring a small sound system with a vocal mic on a stand , and a wireless mic; I may want to plug into your more powerful sound system if appropriate. • In that case, I need a competent sound technician who can work the sound equipment and solve problems.

Location(s):

Your school’s auditorium or gym

Fees / Ticketing:

1 in-school performance: $600.

2 in-school performances in 1 location in 1 day: $900.

3 in-school performances in 2 locations in 2 days: $1300.

4 performances in 2 locations in 2 days: $1650.

10 performances, 5 locations, 5 days: $4,000.

EDUCATION STANDARDS

NC Standard Course of Study:

In the lecture-demonstration, Sheila shows correlations between literary and theatrical elements, such as character, setting, objective, conflict/obstacle, and action/plot.

NCSCOS. ELA.CCR.Anchor Standard RL.1 –  make inferences  RL.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually… RL.4.7 Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text…RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or aesthetics of a text.

NC Essential Standards:

NCDPI’s Department of Arts Education has embraced a three-part Comprehensive Arts Education goal: Students should have arts education, arts integration, and arts exposure. This performance comprises all three.
Theatre Arts:  C.1 Use movement, voice, and writing to communicate ideas and feelings. C.2 Use performance to communicate ideas and feelings. A.1 – Analyze literary texts and performances.

NCES Science. Forces and Motion: 2.P.1 Understand the relationship between sound and vibrating objects. 2.P.1.2 Summarize the relationship between sound and objects of the body that vibrate – eardrum and vocal cords. 3.P.1 Understand motion and forces that affect motion. 3.P.1.1 Infer changes in speed or direction resulting from forces acting on an object. 3.P.1.3 Explain the effects of earth’s gravity on the motion of any object on or near the earth. 4.P.1 Explain how various forces affect the motion of an object. 5.P.1 Understand force, motion and the relationship between them. 5.P.1.1 Explain how factors such as gravity, friction, and change in mass affect the motion of objects.

Qualifications

Conducts educational programming for 2 or more years: Yes
Performs criminal background checks on staff with youth contact: Yes
Maintains general liability insurance (Individuals and organizations listed in this Directory can provide proof of insurance upon request. ASC does not hold copies of current documentation for providers): Yes
Three letters of recommendation / references available: Yes
Provides study guides for teachers and or students: Yes
Connects to State and or Common Core Curriculum Standards: Yes
Provides tools to assess student learning (workshops and residencies): Yes
Conducts ongoing assessments of program quality: Yes
Cancellation Policy

If a performance is cancelled due to acts of God, pandemic, or other circumstances out of our control, we will work to reschedule on a mutually-agreed-upon date. Cancellation of a contracted performance by the presenter without a reason, as above, will represent breach of contract, and presenter will pay damages of 50% of the agreed-upon fee. Cancellation less than 30 days before the contracted date will result in full payment of the agreed-upon fee on the contracted date. If I am unable to fulfill this contract, I will notify you no later than 10 days prior to the date of the contracted services.