The Parkersburg Art Center is accepting registrations for its ArtStart program for preschool children. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — The Parkersburg Art Center will be hosting a special Shakespeare program and is interested in getting preschool children involved in art.

The Rustic Mechanicals will perform “The Tempest” at 3 p.m. Aug. 4 in the ballroom at the Parkersburg Art Center.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students.

“The Tempest” is Shakespeare’s final solo play, blending comedy, magic, and themes of forgiveness and renewal. This production promises an entertaining and thought-provoking show in a theater-in-the-round setting.

Founded in 2014 by Celi Oliveto, the Rustic Mechanicals are the only troupe in West Virginia dedicated to touring Shakespeare and classical plays. Their innovative approach includes dynamic casting and a unique “script-in-hand” format, making classic works accessible and enjoyable.

The Rustic Mechanicals will perform Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” Aug. 4 at the Parkersburg Art Center. (Photo Provided)

Reserve a seat at https://www.parkersburgartcenter.org/new-products/william-shakespeares-the-tempest.

More information about the Rustic Mechanicals and their touring season can be found on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RusticMechanicals/.

The PAC has also opened registration for the ArtStart Preschool Program at the art center for students ages 3-5. There are a few openings in the four-day morning class. The school year begins in late August and continues through mid-May.

The ArtStart program offers a developmentally appropriate curriculum with the goal of enhancing the students’ creative, physical, social, emotional and intellectual development.

ArtStart provides children the opportunity to explore in small class sizes of not more than 12 students with two teachers in each classroom.

The Rustic Mechanicals will perform Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” Aug. 4 at the Parkersburg Art Center. (Photo Provided)

The ArtStart curriculum is intended as an academic foundation for kindergarten, fostering skills in a playful and meaningful way.

“We integrate the arts into our curriculum – not as separate subjects, but as pivotal elements in the development of language and literacy, emergent math, problem solving and other skills. Because this is a private school program, teachers are not trapped within a predetermined curriculum web. They have the flexibility to create educational units that match the interests of a particular class,” said Jessie Siefert, managing director and education director at the PAC

“For learning to take root, activities must be hands-on and meaningful,” said Siefert. “Children in general, but especially young children, do not learn through rote memorization or by completing worksheets. These types of activities turn off the brain. Hands-on experiences engage young minds and create memories that last. The ArtStart Preschool program offers this kind of freedom for personal, meaningful discovery within a structured environment. It is truly a wonderful program.”

To learn more about the program, visit the Art Center website https://www.parkersburgartcenter.org/artstart-preschool or contact the ArtStart staff at info@parkersburgartcenter.org.

The Parkersburg Art Center is accepting registrations for its ArtStart program for preschool children. (Photo Provided)

The Parkersburg Art Center is accepting registrations for its ArtStart program for preschool children. (Photo Provided)