The Color Purple Educational Opportunities

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STUDENT RUSH TICKETS
The Civic Center is offering STUDENT RUSH TICKETS for THE COLOR PURPLE.  Any student with a valid ID may purchase tickets to any performance of THE COLOR PURPLE for $20.
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THE COLOR OF SUCCESS: Pre-show lectures
Civic Center West Balcony Lounge
with Ruth Ann Gaines and Civic Center Staff
Want to find out more about the show?  Join us 45 minutes before each performance of THE COLOR PURPLE for a unique insider's look behind the curtain.  This experience will provide you with a better understanding of Alice Walker's story and the journey it took to become a successful Broadway musical.  This is a great addition to your performance experience.
Free to all THE COLOR PURPLE ticket holders
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POST-PERFORMANCE DISCUSSIONS with cast members of THE COLOR PURPLE

FRIDAY, APRIL 10, following 7:30 p.m. performance
Immediately following the performance, audience members are invited to an intimate conversation with members of the THE COLOR PURPLE company. Cast members will share their experiences of this show and provide an opportunity for questions and answers. These rare occasions provide audience members a deeper understanding and personal connection to the acting company and show.

Free to all THE COLOR PURPLE ticket holders
Civic Center Main Hall 

 

CHECK IT OUT!
Read more about The Color Purple.  Our good friends at the Des Moines Public Library have assembled a list of suggested reading materials.
Check it out 

STUDY GUIDE
Study guide      Show information

BRING YOUR CLASS
Group sales reservation form 

Previous events:
FILM + COMMENTARY: The Color Purple
Sunday, March 15
1 p.m. | Des Moines Art Center, Levitt Auditorium (4700 Grand Ave)
with Dr. Eric L. Johnson
The Civic Center in partnership with the Des Moines Art Center presents a unique opportunity to experience the 1985 film The Color Purple. The film will culminate with a facilitated discussion led by Dr. Eric Johnson, Director of the Urban Education Program at Drake University. The conversation will explore themes presented in the film and their relevance today, and draw parallels between the book and film—introduced in the 80’s—and the musical adaptation produced more than 20 years later. The Color Purple story has a strong history that started with the 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and then brought to the screen in the 1985 Oscar®-nominated film by Steven Spielberg. This unforgettable and inspiring story of Celie—a woman who triumphs over tremendous odds to find joy in life, love, and her true inner beauty was re-imagined as a theatrical production in 2006 and was nominated for eleven Tony® Awards. The Color Purple is a landmark theatrical event that captures the hearts of young and old, and unites audiences in a celebration of love.

The Color Purple (1985) | Steven Spielberg, director | 154 minutes, rated PG-13
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READERS NIGHT BOOK DISCUSSION: The Color Purple
Tuesday, March 31
7:30 p.m. | Civic Center West Balcony Lounge
with Vallery Griffis and Dr. Eric L. Johnson
The time was 1982, and America was recovering from a recession; however, in Alice Walker’s mind it was 1909, a time when her ancestors were fighting to recover their dignity from centuries of slavery, poverty, and abuse. Although THE COLOR PURPLE is not autobiographical but rather a collection of stories about her family, Alice Walker’s desire was to be more intimate with her ancestors at a time when she did not exist.  In a series of letters to God, Ms. Walker creates an unforgettable character who through love finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her own voice in the world. As a result of this groundbreaking, sometimes controversial, work, Alice Walker was awarded a Pulitzer Prize—the first African American woman to ever be recognized with this honor.

In a discussion paying tribute to Ms. Walker’s work, Dr. Eric Johnson and Vallery Griffis will lead the conversation through universal themes, issues of difference, choices presented to Celie, and other topics brought up by participants. Join us for good conversation, desserts and refreshments, and connection with other patrons around THE COLOR PURPLE.
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