Erth Visual & Physical, Inc. and Red Tail Entertainment are pleased to confirm the arrival of Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure which will play in Rudder Auditorium, for one night only on Friday, Nov. 30, at 6:30pm. The program is presented by MSC OPAS. Tickets are on sale now at MSC Box Office, to purchase call (979) 845-1234 or visit www.MSCOPAS.org. To accommodate families’ schedules, please note the special performance time at 6:30pm.
Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure was created in Australia by Erth Visual & Physical, who spent years scouring the seven seas, collecting playful prehistoric creatures of the deep for their giant theatrical aquarium. This show explores the unknown ocean depths where prehistoric marine reptiles lived eons ago. Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure follows the enormously successful Erth's Dinosaur Zoo Live, which introduced a menagerie of insects, mammals, and dinosaurs which roamed the planet 65 million years ago. Both shows feature a large-scale cast of creatures brought to life by sophisticated design, theatrical presentation, and puppet mastery. Prehistoric Aquarium is a real adventure taking place at the bottom of the ocean; the audience experience is enriched via immersive techniques that make them feel as though they are sometimes swimming with the creatures in the tank.
Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure and Dinosaur Zoo Live are produced in North America by Red Tail Entertainment; the Erth and Red Tail collaboration is dedicated to offering entertaining family shows that are based in the real science of paleontology. Children can watch and learn, while interacting with the creatures in a fun, educational, and unique presentation. Erth shows us actors, technology, puppets, science, and imagination to create an amazing visual experience that connects young audiences to science.
Erth Visual & Physical, Inc. is a company fueled by beautiful accidents; they are a team of creators, makers, and performers, pushing the limits of design, content, and experience. For more than twenty five years, Erth’s puppetry based theatrical productions and innovative community projects have challenged and inspired audiences across the world, driven by a special interest in natural history, indigenous folklore, sociology, and urban mythology. Today the company is recognized internationally as an innovator of physical and visual theatre, and a creator of brave, unbridled work for children. Erth’s work tours year-round internationally, has been featured in all major Australian arts festivals, and has appeared at international events including the Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Hong Kong Fringe, Galway Arts Festival, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Singapore Arts Festival, the Festival of Arts & Ideas, Shanghai World Expo, the opening of the Mall of Qatar, and the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival.
Erth's Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure is written and directed by Scott Wright, co-founder of Erth Visual and Physical Inc. and its artistic director since inception in 1990. He trained as a dancer and choreographer in Victoria in southeast Australia, and is a multi-skilled artist incorporating puppetry, movement, acting, aerial, stilts, and pyrotechnics. Currently he is working with renowned Italian director Chiara Guidi, having just finished production on Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium. Scott has also produced work based upon the last thylacine (the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times) kept in Australian captivity. Some of Scott’s personal interests include the survival of indigenous folklore and exploring how ancient stories can be retrieved and presented to new audiences, work which has taken him into remote communities throughout Australia. He is also fiercely active in making work that is inclusive for children, with or without disabilities, but also making work with adults with disabilities as collaborators.
Red Tail Entertainment and Phillip Drayer produce and present a wide variety of entertainment throughout North America. Red Tail Productions produces a wide range of quality entertainment ranging from Broadway musicals to family theater, including the acclaimed Broadway hit A Night with Janis Joplin, Do You Hear the People Sing, Cirque Musica, Scooby Doo Live! Musical Mysteries, and Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live, which has successfully toured North America for four years to an audience of over half a million people. Through its division Red Tail-Live, the company has a tremendous track record of producing and presenting live entertainment in a variety of venues, theatres, performing arts centers, and arenas throughout the U.S. and Canada – presenting over a hundred events annually.
Mr. Drayer is a Texas-based entrepreneur whose career spans over fifty years. He was an early member of the high technology industry working for the industry leaders. Additionally, he founded and built two publicly traded semiconductor companies. In 2000, Forbes named his company as one of the top 50 of the best run company’s in the U.S. During that year, he was presented the Top CEO award by Morgan Stanley Ventures in Silicon Valley. Mr. Drayer has a long philanthropic history which include twelve years of service on the Lamar University Engineering Advisory Council and Lamar University Foundation. The university acknowledged his contributions by awarding him the honor of naming the Electrical Engineering Department in his name. In 1989, Mr. Drayer and his wife Karen founded and helped develop the now internationally recognized Wildlife Health Center on the Davis campus of the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine. The center, modeled after a Silicon Valley start-up, is dedicated to educating and training veterinarians to solve wildlife and ecosystem problems throughout the globe. In recognition of their service, the university recently named the center the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center.
Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure is designed by Steve Howarth, with sound design by Phil Downing and animation by Christian J. Heinrich. Illustrations are by Gabbie Paananen and lighting design is by Neil Simpson. Sharon Kerr is executive director. Drew Fairley and Catherine McNamara are co-writers and served as performers in the Australia production.
