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Scroll Down Community InterActions Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Welcome to Community InterActions, a four-part podcast series exploring the impact of Covid-19 on the Wheaton area. Our Wheaton community is full of stories to tell, and we're telling just a few of them in this series. Community InterActions collects some of those stories and shares them through the words and voices of the people who are living them. This limited audio series will be taking a look at who we are in Wheaton, and focusing on some specific people in Wheaton who wanted to share their stories about the impact of the pandemic on their lives and livelihoods. Click here to navigate to our Virtual Gallery Explore the Virtual Gallery Click on an arrow below to listen to podcast episodes. Transcripts are available with each podcast episode below. ​ We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcasts. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Episode 1: Who Is Wheaton? In this first installment, Ali Oliver-Krueger and Emily Townsend from InterAct Story Theatre begin by laying a foundation of the history of Wheaton, Wheaton's changing demographics and culture, Wheaton's economic landscape, and how all of these factors have contributed in the significant impact Covid-19 and its effects are having on this economically and racially diverse community. Click the PLAY arrow to begin Episode 1 Community InterActions Episode 1 InterAct Story Theatre 00:00 / 18:42 Click here for a transcript of Episode 1 in English Haga clic aquí para ver la transcripción del episodio 1 en español We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcast. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Episode 2: Pandemic and Food and Housing Insecurity Covid-19 and its effects impacted Wheaton residents in disparate and inequitable ways. For the most vulnerable, the shutdown created stark gaps in important services and lifelines, including food insecurity, and housing insecurity. Ali Oliver-Krueger and Emily Townsend look at the national picture and then share perspectives from local community advocates and community members who are taking action. NOTE: This episode was recorded before Governor Hogan announced lifting of the State of Emergency in Maryland on July 1, 2021. Click the PLAY arrow to begin Episode 2 Community InterActions Episode 2 InterAct Story Theatre 00:00 / 22:52 Click here for a transcript of Episode 2 in English Haga clic aquí para ver la transcripción del episodio 2 en español We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcast. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Episode 3: Pandemic and Small Businesses In this episode, Ali Oliver-Krueger and Emily Townsend discuss the impact of pandemic on small businesses, across the nation and in our local Wheaton-Kensington area. Ali talks with local business owners and community members on how the effects of the global pandemic have affected business at home. Click the PLAY arrow to begin Episode 3 Community InterActions Episode 3 InterAct Story Theatre 00:00 / 21:52 Click here for a transcript of Episode 3 in English We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcast. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! Haga clic aquí para ver la transcripción del episodio 3 en español Community InterActions Podcast Episodes Episode 4: Pandemic and Making Art One of the sectors hit hardest by pandemic and facing the slowest recovery has been the arts and culture sector. As an Arts and Entertainment District, Wheaton not only is home to several artists and arts organizations, but also draws artists from nearby areas. In this episode, Ali Oliver-Krueger and Emily Townsend talk about the pandemic experience at InterAct Story Theatre, and talk with community artists and members of Wheaton arts organizations to get their unique perspective on pandemic times. Click the PLAY arrow to begin Episode 4 Community InterActions Episode 4 InterAct Story Theatre 00:00 / 39:01 Click here for a transcript of Episode 4 in English Haga clic aquí para ver la transcripción del episodio 4 en español We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcast. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! This project was made possible by a grant from Maryland Humanities, with funding received from the Maryland Historical Trust in the Maryland Department of Planning. Maryland Humanities’ Grants Program is also supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and private funders. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Maryland Humanities, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland Department of Planning, or National Endowment for the Humanities.

Marshal Bailey Marshall Bailey (he/him) is a teaching artist and actor. At Salisbury University he studied both theatre performance and ecosystem biology. Shortly thereafter, he began doubling as a Teaching Artist and Education Coordinator for Compass Rose Theater. As both an educator and administrator, Marshall strives to make meaningful connections with his community by giving people the tools to explore their creativity and discover who they are. In addition to his work with InterAct Story Theatre, Marshall’s broad range of credits include performing, directing, teaching, arts administration, and technical production with such companies as Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, Compass Rose Theatre, Drama Learning Center, and others. He hopes to one day bring together his passion for environmental stewardship and theatre craft to create a new form of theatre to help audiences build an empathetic relationship with nature. ​ Teaching & Performing Artist Back

Scroll Down InterAct in the Community Wheaton Family Theatre Series InterAct Story Theatre’s Wheaton Family Theatre Series is a free, monthly performing arts series that runs October - May each year. Originally launched in 2015 through a generous Wheaton Cultural Projects Grant by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, the goal of the Series is to present a variety of performing arts programs that celebrate the rich diversity of our arts community and offer our Wheaton kids and families a window to the world around us through family programs and arts learning activities in theatre, storytelling, music, dance, puppetry, fusion arts, and more! InterAct Online InterAct Story Theatre’s most popular programs are also available online and in the virtual classroom! In response to requests from parents and teachers, InterAct has our most popular arts education programs for the online classroom and for kids and parents at home, including workshops, residencies, and performances for PreK - 12; family arts and literacy workshops; and professional development webinars for classroom teachers and teaching artists. InterAct On the Road (or On the Web ) and in Your Communit y InterAct Story Theatre tours plays, performing arts programs, family arts workshops, community dialogue events, arts education programs and lecture/demonstrations to community venues and festivals across the country, both in person and virtually/online! How can we bring the power of arts and learning together in your community? Contact us or fill out our form and we’ll get the ball rolling! Ticketed Events We look forward to our next ticketed event, and invite you to join our mailing list to stay updated for our next event for kids and families! To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Tom Teasley Tom Teasley, described in the Washington Post as “a multi-instrumental genius,” maintains a unique career as a solo percussionist, composer, and collaborator. He is a Drummie Award winner for “World Percussionist of the Year by Drum! Magazine. Tom is a multi Helen Hayes Theatre Award recipient for outstanding sound design (nominations in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2019). Tom tours frequently worldwide, performing and presenting clinics for the instrument companies he endorses, including Yamaha, Vic Firth, Sabian, Remo, and Gon Bops. His educational book /DVD, An American Approach to World Percussion, is published by Alfred Publishing. Tom is a five-time WAMA (Washington Area Music Award) World Music Instrumentalist of the Year. A six-time recipient of a Fulbright-Hayes grant for performances in the Middle East, Tom collaborated with indigenous musicians and gave historic performances by invitation of U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Samoa, Oman, and Jerusalem. He has been an artist-in-residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Tom has collaborated with the National Symphony as both a soloist and composer. As an international collaborator, he has performed by invitation in Europe, South America, New Zealand, Samoa, and Korea. Tom earned the Artist-of-the-year award from Young Audiences of Virginia for his creative and educational presentations. His CDs receive international airplay and acclaim. He has been the subject of numerous feature articles in Modern Drummer Downbeat and Drum! Magazines. World Music, Drumming Teaching & Performing Artist Back

Thank You! To all of our kids and families who saw our production of Not My Monkey at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland! Wheaton Family Theatre Series is back! CLICK HERE to view our New Season ! Mail List

Tierra Burke ​ ​ Performing Artist Back

Noa Gelb Noa Gelb (she/hers) is a multi-disciplined Classicist and Theatre Artist specializing in arts administration, dramaturge, and performance. A firm believer in theatre as a collaborative process, Noa enjoys working closely with creatives to create new works and reimagine old ones. Some favourite positions include: Producer for Wall-to-Wall Theatre Festival, a museum-style, found-space, multimedia performance festival; Casting Director for Theatre Prometheus, a theatre company dedicated to promoting queer, feminist theatre; Assistant Stage Manager at the Folger Shakespeare Library, and Dramaturge for a number of modern adaptations of Ancient Greek plays. As a Classicist, Noa specializes in ancient Mediterranean mythology and religion, and enjoys marrying her passions of Classics and Theatre by creating work that investigates themes of identity, human connections, magic, and historical relevance. Noa believes in the transformative power of storytelling and works to bring mythology to younger audiences through her writing and theatre creation. In her spare time, Noa enjoys travelling, reading, yoga, exploring independent coffee shops, and volunteering for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and as a Text Bank Moderator for the 2020 General Election. ​ Teaching & Performing Artist Back

Hannah Fogler Hannah Fogler (she/hers) is a performer, teaching artist, director, and makeup/SFX artist for theatre and film. A certified educator, Hannah teaches in Baltimore City Public Schools as well as working widely throughout the area as a teaching artist with Baltimore Center Stage, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, Single Carrot Theatre, and Drama Learning Center. Her resume includes performing credits in Shakespeare, youth theatre, and modern drama as well as a wide array of experience in directing, production, technical theatre, and design. In addition to her work as a performer and teaching artist with InterAct Story Theatre, Hannah is InterAct’s resident headpiece/hair/makeup SFX designer. Her work in makeup/SFX is highly respected in both the theatre and the film industry for her work, which was nominated for Best Makeup by World Music & Independent Film Awards (2016). Teaching & Performing Artist Back

Lenore Blank Kelner Lenore Blank Kelner is an author, educator, educational consultant, keynote speaker and teaching and theatre artist. Lenore has presented her work in all 50 states and abroad and has been a presenter with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for 29 years. She was a Master Artist for the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts for 25 years. Lenore is the author of The Creative Classroom (15th printing) and co-authored with Rosalind Flynn, A Dramatic Approach to Reading Comprehension (Heinemann, 2006, 5th printing). Lenore was awarded the 2004 Creative Drama Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education. In addition to conducting staff development residencies through InterAct Story Theatre, Lenore also works widely through her own company, Lenore Blank Kelner & Company and is the Director of the Creative Kids afterschool Drama Program. Drama, Creative Drama Founder Back

Ashton Schaffer Drama Teaching & Performing Artist Back

Nancy Krebs Nancy Krebs started her professional acting career in 1975 with The Tender Trap at the Garland Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Maryland. From there, she was part of the ensemble that won an Emmy Award for the PBS television series, ONCE UPON A TOWN in 1976. She has performed in film, television, radio and on the stage continuously since the mid-seventies. She has worked in summer stock and regional theatre, notably at Center Stage in Baltimore and Alaska Repertory Theatre, traveling all over the state of Alaska before joining InterAct Story Theatre in 1982. Currently, in addition to being a company member of InterAct Story Theatre, she teaches voice production and musical theatre at the Baltimore School for the Arts, is a certified Lessac Instructor (voice), and runs her own studio, THE VOICEWORKS. She has served as the Vocal/Dialect coach for several professional and university productions in the Baltimore/Washington area, as well as serving as the Musical Director/Vocal Coach for all productions in the theatre department at the School for the Arts. Workshops: Songbuilding, Songbuilding Parent-Staff-Child Workshop Music Teaching & Performing Artist Back

Penny Russell Penny Russell (she/hers) is a Puppeteer, Musician, and Teaching Artist based in Prince George’s County, MD. She is a Master Teaching Artist with Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts; and teaches Music, Drama, Puppetry, and Self-Advocacy through the Arts to children and adults on the autism spectrum for ArtStream. Penny studied Folklore and Mythology at the University of Maryland, College Park where she received degrees in Sociology and English. She has performed for Wolf Trap, The Kennedy Center, Adventure Theater, The Puppet Company, and the National Theater among others; and has presented workshops for the National Science Teachers Convention, Virginia STEM and Library Conference, Wolf Trap, The Kennedy Center, The Actor’s Center, and schools across the country. Penny volunteers in her community [Warm Nights, Community Café, Yard Dramas] and beyond [International Guest House, The Iona Community, Mt Harmony Drama]; and was an original cast member of “Am I Welcome?”, an LGBT+ puppet show about inclusion. She loves connecting and communicating through the arts; and believes that the arts are for everyone. Puppetry Teaching & Performing Artist Back