Go beyond the stage at Center for the Performing Arts

The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel offers the following opportunities for educational experiences.

A certified organ-ic Luminaries

The pipe organ is an elaborate and mysterious machine in which the musical, mechanical, architectural, and spiritual worlds come together.

Rob Heighway, shop foreman for Indianapolis firm Goulding & Wood, has spent half his life building and installing these beautiful creatures, a vocation that requires expertise in high-end woodworking, metalworking and solid-state control systems, as well as music.

For the Sept. 24 edition of the Luminaries speaker series, Heighway will take attendees on a tour of this hidden world. “History and Mystery of the Pipe Organ” is set for 2 p.m. Click here to register.

Have you ever written a song?

More to the point, would you like to give it a try in a supportive environment open to all levels of skill and experience?

After a well-received debut last season, the Songwriting: Melody and Lyrics course is back for another round, with Tuesday night sessions from Jan. 21 through Feb. 18. Led by local artists Kristen Bales and Joshua Powell, attendees can learn the basics of the art form and collaborate with other writers, ultimately sharing their work at a “songwriters in the round” public performance Feb. 21 in the Studio Theater. Click here to learn more and to register.

Prism Project campers preparing June performance

The Prism Project at the Center is now in its second year on campus, providing a month-long performing arts experience for youth with various cognitive and physical disabilities, culminating in an original stage production developed around the unique talents and interests of each camper.

This year’s public performance for family and friends will take place June 23 at the Tarkington, and if you want to see what these remarkable performers can accomplish, get your Prism Project tickets here.

Have you ever written a joke?

The Center’s Intro to Stand-Up Comedy class has become so popular that it’s offered twice a year and it still sells out. Professional comedian Mat Alano-Martin leads this intensive but fun small-group experience in which participants learn the history and mechanics of stand-up comedy and develop their own five-minute routines.

If you’ve been awaiting your opportunity, a new section of the class is now on sale, with sessions on Monday evenings Feb. 10 through March 3 and a graduation performance – yes, there’s a performance, in front of people – March 7 in the Studio Theater.

Click here to learn more and register ASAP – seriously.