Parkway second graders visit NPAC

VW independent staff/submitted information

Over 70 second grade students from Parkway – rock stars In-training – recently took to the Niswonger Performing Arts Center stage for learning and lively fun.

The Van Wert Live Team presented a behind the scenes experience that transformed the students into rock stars for the day. Tour guides Gary Taylor, Bill Clifton, Greg Blackmore and Amy Lyons led the students to four stations: box office, Amy McGovern and Jerry Beard; marketing and creatives, Quincy Thompson and Weston Thompson; green room, Michelle Agler, and stage, Hugh Saunier and Matt Saunier, that provided insights on how artists are selected, contracted, and marketed before the big show takes place.

“Students got a taste of all the different pieces that make a production successful,” Parkway second grade teacher Zachary Bates said. “This hands-on behind-the-scenes experience was awesome for our students and really excited them about what the Niswonger has to offer to our community.”

The enthusiasm was evident from Parkway 2nd Grade student, Lily Caffee.

“It was really fun,” she said. “It was my favorite field trip that I have ever been on.”

The two-hour experience was an opportunity to introduce the NPAC as a resource for young leaders to experience cultural events. The facility has enabled the arts to flourish for families throughout the region with the average Niswonger customer traveling from 32 miles for a show.

Van Wert Live events are presented by The Van Wert Areas Performing Arts Foundation, a supporting 501c3 of The Van Wert County Foundation. The organization’s vision is to make Van Wert an entertainment destination by providing experiences that are so good they demand a return. The behind the scenes experience aligns with that mission and supports cultivating arts enthusiasts.