ACO Brings It Downtown

Where will the arts be next?” asks the tag line on the Arts Center of the Ozarks new “Inside/Out” initiative. Executive Director Jenni Taylor Swain says it’s all a part of an effort to integrate the arts into the downtown Springdale area.

“We’ve identified new strategies and their role in supporting the revitalization of downtown Springdale,” says Swain. “We’re taking the art outside of the walls of the ACO, and we want to partner with other activities that are happening in and around the downtown area.”

The fun will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday when the Melbourne-based theater company Born in a Taxi presents “The Curious Game” at the downtown Springdale Farmers Market.

“It’s a fun, interactive piece that was commissioned for an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ festival in Australia,” says Swain. “It’s fun, it’s easy, it’s physical, and it’s visually engaging and interactive. There is some language, but it’s primarily a visual piece, so it’s a good piece for families or children that might be learning English as a second language. We wanted something that would appeal to a broad demographic and really reach out to family and children.”

Later that day, Born in a Taxi will return with a performance of “Zebras” during the Rodeo of the Ozarks celebration from 7 to 8 p.m. on Emma Avenue.

“This piece is a cousin to the contemporary circus,” says Swain. “It’s physical theater — it’s clowning and audience participation and is very sitespecific. It’s high fashion with a beastly twist.” Swain says humans dressed as zebras mingle with the crowd as they perform. “They’re so fun — all in black and white, they wear funny glasses, and they have prosthetics on their bums so they look like zebras. They’ll prance and run and graze. It’s where the African Savannah collides with Coco Chanel.”

Swain says the ACO will continue to look for ways to bring art into downtown Springdale and into the community.

“We want to show how the arts can play an integral part of an event, and add some whimsy,” she says.