UIS Performing Arts Center Education

12/03/2025

What an incredible journey All Smiles has been! Over the month of November, we shared this joyful Theatre for the Very Young production with children and families across Springfield and Jacksonville—completing 13 performances for over 250 children (and over 400 audience members overall) in Head Start classrooms, libraries, and community spaces.

Watching little ones light up with curiosity, laughter, and reminded us that no one is too young to experience theatre. We’re grateful to every site that welcomed us, every caregiver who attended, and every child who helped bring the story to life. We are especially grateful to the Samantha Provenzano and the Alliance Theatre for giving us the opportunity to produce this play in our community!

Thank you to our partners, performers, and supporters who made this tour possible. Our hearts (and our cheeks!) are full of smiles.

We look forward to bringing more plays and programming for our youngest audience members in the future!

11/21/2025

We’re thrilled to have brought 7 joyful performances of All Smiles to PreK students at Springfield Urban League Inc. sites in Springfield and Jacksonville over the last two weeks! The students’ smiles and excitement were absolutely contagious.

A huge thank-you to PNC bank for helping make it possible to bring this play to these Head Start students!

And we’re not done spreading smiles yet…
You still have one more chance to catch All Smiles! Join us tomorrow, November 22 at the Chatham Area Public Library for our final two public performances at 10am and 1pm.
The show is free and runs approximately 30 minutes!

11/20/2025

We hope to see you and your little ones this Saturday at the Chatham Area Public Library for our final performances of All Smiles!

11/20/2025

We hope to see you and your little ones this Saturday at one of our last performances of “All Smiles” at 10am and 1pm at the Chatham Area Public Library!

🎉 Last Chance to Catch All Smiles! 🎉
UIS Performing Arts Center Education's All Smiles is making its final stop in Chatham this Saturday, and you won’t want to miss it!

✨ Designed especially for ages 0–5, this sweet, interactive performance brings joy, movement, and LOTS of smiles to our littlest audience members.

📍 Chatham Public Library
🗓️ This Saturday
⏰ 10 AM & 1 PM

Bring your little ones for a fun, engaging morning or afternoon of theatre made just for them! 💛

11/15/2025

One more chance to “All Smiles” at the Kidzeum of Health and Science today at 1:30pm!!

11/15/2025

Don’t miss you chance to meet Sense and Mo at a performance of “All Smiles” this Saturday, November 15th at the Kidzeum of Health and Science at 10am or 1:30pm.

We can’t wait to see your smiles at “All Smiles”!

11/15/2025

Don’t miss out on a chance to see “All Smiles” at the Kidzeum of Health and Science tomorrow at 10am and 1:30pm!

11/13/2025

Audiences agree! "All Smiles" is the joyful play that you and your kiddos need to see! You and your little one have two more opportunities to see "All Smiles" this month!

This Saturday, November 15th we will be performing at the Kidzeum of Health and Science at 10am and 1:30pm.

Our final performance open to the public will be on November 22nd at the Chatham Area Public Library at 10am and 1pm.

This show with minimal dialogue, lots of smiles and tons of joy is perfect for kids under 5 (though we have seen kids up the 10 enjoy the show).

For more information about this show please visit https://uispac.com/theatre-for-the-very-young/

🌟 All Smiles brought just that — smiles all around! 🌟

We loved hearing your feedback from this past weekend’s performances:
💬 “Loved it!!! Very engaging and fun.”
💬 “100% this was perfect and I'd love to see more.”
💬 “Such a great TYA show! Perfect for the age range and so sweet to see the littles interact with the cast.”
💬 “Heartwarming, funny, and interactive — wonderful from start to finish!”
💬 “Free theatre for young children is such a great opportunity.”

👏 Thank you for sharing your joy and helping us make a positive impact on young minds through live theatre.

🎭 Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic!
Catch All Smiles this Saturday at the Kidzeum — shows at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM.

✨ Free show with Kidzeum admission. Big smiles guaranteed! ✨

11/05/2025

Our first FREE performances of "All Smiles" a play for children ages 0-5 are THIS SATURDAY, November 8th at the Lincoln Library, The Public Library of Springfield, IL at 10:30am and 1:30pm.

Don't miss out on this gentle and interactive theatre experience for you and your little one.

Both performances start in the children's area of the library before moving to the Carnegie room.

For more information go to: https://uispac.com/theatre-for-the-very-young/

We look forward to seeing your smiles this Saturday!

10/24/2025

Get ready to smile, Springfield! 😄
Our new Theatre for the Very Young production, All Smiles, is made especially for children ages 0–5—and their grown-ups!

This 35–40 minute interactive play invites little ones to laugh, move, and join in the fun as they explore the magical Smile Factory with actors Chrissy Joy and Travis Wiggins.

It’s the perfect first theatre experience—short, sweet, and full of joy. 💛

🎭 Directed by Justine Moser
📅 Three public dates, six total shows—don’t miss it!

10/20/2025

Don't miss this opportunity to explore theatre with your littles at one of our free community performances in November!

All Smiles — A Play Made Just for Little Ones! brought to you by UIS Performing Arts Center Education

Step inside the Smile Factory, where making smiles is easy—until the Smile Machine breaks! Help the two Smile Factory workers, Sense and Mo, as they explore their emotions through movement, music, and silliness. Produced by the UIS Performing Arts Center’s Local Arts and Education team, All Smiles is a 35–40-minute interactive theatre experience for ages 0–5, where kids are invited to laugh, move, and play along with the actors. Instead of sitting quietly the whole time, children are encouraged—but never required—to join the action while enjoying a clear, engaging story.

We can’t wait to see you — and your smiles — at All Smiles!

**Want a sneak peek? Need a more relaxed environment? Email Justine Moser at [email protected] if you want to bring your kids to an afternoon dress rehearsal at the end of October!**