Lucy Reflects

A Conversation with Amy Banks and a Spotlight of the Ware Center

I always thought it was important to introduce my kids to the arts and culture that surround them. Whether it’s an afternoon trip to a local museum or a concert in the park, supporting the arts and encouraging creativity was always valuable to me and a significant part of their upbringing. It’s also one of the many things I love about living in Lancaster. There’s this coherence we feel as parents to share and search for new, exciting and inexpensive things to do with our youngsters. And it’s something I’ve always appreciated and valued, so when I recently ran into Amy Banks and we spoke at length about her role at Ware Center, I was excited to put it on my list of places to frequent and eager to share it with our readers.

When it comes to knowing the local arts and entertainment scene, Amy Banks is an expert. Her career spans from jazz singer to reality TV host, model and regular performer at American Music Theatre. She is currently a member of the Central City Orchestra (if you haven’t seen them, you need to) and is also the Arts Communication Manager at the Ware Center. Her goal is to bring remarkable entertainment to Lancaster suitable for the entire family, all at a very reasonable cost. The performers they choose are clever, thought-provoking and entertaining. Not to mention the Family Fun Fest series, which introduces music, ballet and other performances for the whole family.

The Family Fun Fest is a series that takes place throughout the Ware Center’s season and includes performances by Dan Zanes and Claudia Eliaza, Sensory-Friendly Comic Folk Opera, Scare at the Ware!, PA Ballet II: Prince Charming, You and Me and the Space Between, and Sonia De Los Santos Quintet – “Cuatro” de Mayo. With the help of sponsors like Rodgers and Associates and others, ticket prices are reasonable ($5 for kids and $10 for adults) and include activities in the lobby prior to shows. Thanks to Barry Kornhauser, Assistant Director of Campus and Community Engagement, the events are affordable and diverse and include shows for those with special needs, such as sensory-friendly performances.

“Our arts events are designed to enlighten, enrich and even educate. You won’t see a lot of commercially driven programs, but you will see unique and entertaining shows and concerts from artists both local and global,” Amy says of the upcoming season. “Patrons will have the opportunity to enjoy magical puppetry, plays about historical figures, the pageantry and vibrance of flamenco dance, traditional Irish – Celtic music, inspiring spoken word or dueling classical pianists. … Our goal is that new patrons will come to trust us enough that they won’t need to ‘know’ what the act is like; they will know we bring quality, entertaining and/or thought provoking and inspiring acts that they will enjoy.”

I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford the “commercially driven” performances anyway. And words like “magical puppetry” sound fascinating to me. To be completely honest, it took me some time to recognize and frequent venues in Lancaster and appreciate all they have to offer. Taking advantage of some of these performances locally, I realized how much I was missing out. Providing an intimate setting, paying close attention to detail, and making entertainment for the family possible is at the top of The Ware Center’s list of priorities. We are lucky to have a venue like this available to us and it’s an exciting opportunity for our kids. We’re very fortunate to have The Ware Center and people like Amy behind the scenes. They find captivating and encouraging arts to present to our families. It’s at our fingertips, so as a fellow parent and someone with a love of Lancaster and its arts community, be sure to check it out. Explore the world of creativity our community offers. You’ll be glad you did.

For a complete list of events, visit www.artsmu.com.

Tell us what you think, have you been to the Ware Center? What are some of your favorite shows?