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Theater Works hopes to ‘reconnect’ with fundraiser

BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Glendale Star Staff Writer

Two years after the pandemic lowered the curtain on traditional stage performances worldwide, Peoria’s community theater troupe Theater Works is planning to raise it again with the Saturday, Feb. 19, fundraising event Ignite Our Next Act.

Through the event, the nonprofi t company is looking to generate operating funds, but Executive Director Cate Hinkle said the night of musical theater, dancing and live music is more than a fundraiser. It’s the fi rst step in bringing Peoria’s theater lovers together again.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to survive these last two years,” Hinkle said. “The goal is to reconnect with those people we haven’t been able to see for the past two years. Our primary objective this year is reconnection.”

Its fundraising gala was one of the fi rst events Theater Works canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. So, Hinkle

Theater Works will celebrate its return to traditional format community theater this year at Ignite Our Next Act fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 19. (Photo courtesy of Theater Works) said there’s something poetic about kicking off the return of traditional performances with Ignite Our Next Act.

Theater Works is the resident tenant of the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, and the fundraiser will be inside and outside the venue. The night starts with a series of musical theater performances on the Gyder Mainstage. It then moves outdoors for dinner and dancing under the stars at Osuna Park Plaza, where House of Cirque will light the night with fi re dancing and musician Lee Perreira will perform.

Theatergoers don’t have to wait long for live performances on the main stage. “An Evening of Music Celebrating Black History” is slated for Friday, Feb. 25, and Saturday, Feb. 26. In March, Theater Works will debut After Dark for audiences 16 and older. The fi rst show on the bill is “The Superhero Ultraferno,” playing Friday, March 18, through Sunday, April 10.

Also in April, youth actors in Theater Works’ Theater Alive! will perform “School House Rock Live! Jr.”

Theater Works didn’t rest on its laurels during the pandemic. The company adapted to the conditions by creating a series of “immersive theater experiences” that converted the performing arts center into an “Alice and Wonderland”

SEE THEATER PAGE 18

Caribou Childcare is ‘moms helping moms’

BY ALLISON BROWN Glendale Star Staff Writer

Shortages seem to be impacting every aspect of life, and child care is no exception. With many parents now preparing to return to the offi ce to work, they are left with expensive or completely unavailable child care options. Caribou Childcare, recently launched in the Valley, is an online service that matches stay-at-home moms with families looking for child care.

Glendale mom of three Robin Benedict said she was originally planning to go back to work and was looking for child care for her daughter when she found Caribou. She said once she looked into the service, it was a game changer for her.

“I thought if I could stay home with my little one, then I would like to do that,” Benedict said. “It went from me looking for child care to me thinking I could be at home and help somebody else. I didn’t have to go back to work and leave my little ones. I was able to make extra money and have her with me.”

According to recent reports, the average annual cost of child care in Arizona for 2021 was $10,948, which is higher than the cost of college tuition. In addition, 85% of parents nationwide report spending 10% or more of their household income on child care.

Not only are prices high, but during the pandemic, one-third of the state’s licensed day cares or child care providers were forced to close, according to the Arizona Early Childhood Alliance. Essentially, the number of children needing care has well exceeded the number of available spots in licensed, affordable day care centers in the Valley.

In addition to high prices and lack of availability, Benedict said sometimes kids just don’t fi t the box standards required by day care centers.

“I have a 3-year-old and she’s not fully potty trained, so they won’t put her in the 3-year-old class,” she said. “So, the fact that she can go to someone’s house and they’ll take care of her like I would take care of her, that’s why Caribou interested me. When it comes to day cares and child care, you have to have specifi c standards, and not every kid fi ts those standards. Not every kid is ready at the same time.”

Caribou was started mid-pandemic by moms for moms, who both know that being a stay-at-home mom is a full-time job. According to Stephanie McAlpine, Caribou’s regional ambassador, the service matches thoroughly vetted caregivers with families who have similar demographics such as age of kids, location, family dynamics and other personalized factors.

“As a mom, who is there better to trust our kids with than people who have actually been through it and raised their own kids as well?” McAlpine said. “Sometimes it’s nice to have someone that knows what each cry means or that

THEATER FROM PAGE 16 rabbit hole.

Hinkle said the successful “Curiouser & Curiouser” series helped introduce the world of theater to new audiences and kept actors performing and designers creating while traditional shows were shuttered. Theater Works is looking to maintain build on the successes of the immersive experiences going forward.

“It really was such a different way to experience the theater and that was really intriguing,” she said.

While “Curiouser & Curiouser” was a successful experiment, Hinkle said Theater Works is excited to return to traditional stage productions. She said live theater plays an important role for neighbors.

“Theater is very important to community,” Hinkle said. “Seeing a theater production with your fellow comater production with your fellow community members is very unifying. … I would say theater for young people can be very life changing. You create this family when you’re part of this theater and you have this place to go that’s safe and where you can express yourself.

“We believe there is lots and lots of talent in the community we live in, (and) we are bringing together our community. … They come to Theater Works to feed their souls, their passions — lawyers, policemen, people from all walks of life.”

Ignite Our Next Act

WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19 WHERE: Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, 10580 N. 83rd Drive, Peoria COST: $150 INFO: theaterworks.org/ignite

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CARIBOU FROM PAGE 16 knows what a little look or hand gesture could mean because they’ve been through it with their own child.”

Another thing that separates Caribou from a day care center is that caregivers are only matched with one family at a time, so there are not too many kids to watch. Because of this, McAlpine said another perk is that the caregiver’s own child gets a friend and has someone to socialize with.

“I am a new mom, so I understand the challenges of leaving your child in someone else’s care,” McAlpine said. “For me, it is important for my daughter to socialize, which is why I joined the Caribou community. It has been wonderful meeting like-minded mothers and giving my daughter the opportunity to play and learn from other kids.”

Being a stay-at-home mom doesn’t automatically make someone eligible to be a caregiver, though. In fact, Benedict said there is a thorough selection process.

“They do a full background check — criminal history, driving history, everything,” McAlpine said of the process. “Every caregiver goes through two interviews and then Caribou implements checks to see where the care is going to be provided. They came and took pictures of my playroom and everything to put it on my profi le. They go to actually see the home and see the caregiver in person.”

Since launching Caribou in fall 2021, nearly 100 stay-at-home moms across metro Phoenix have signed up to provide safe and personalized in-home care for children. Caribou Childcare services are available in Anthem, Glendale, Peoria, North Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler and Scottsdale.

“It’s moms helping moms, and it gives you that community feeling where if you don’t have family or don’t have a family that helps you, it’s nice to have the opportunity to have a company that also feels like they could be friends,” Benedict said. “It’s not just child care, it’s bonding and it’s friends for the kids.”

Caribou Childcare

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