Tom McCabe

Tom McCabe

info@TomMcCabe.com

http://www.tommccabe.com/index.html

Holyoke, MA

PaintBox Theatre

Director, Storyteller, Inspirational Speaker

For more than 25 years Tom McCabe has been creating programs to inspire children to read and write. More than a million people throughout the US and abroad have shared in his presentations. Along with his work with children, Tom has become a renowned teacher of teachers, a conference speaker, and an inspired performer for adults. Tom is also the Artistic Director and founder of PaintBox Theater.



Paint Box Theatre is a theatre of improvisation and imagination for the whole family. Audiences young, old and in between have called it unique, wild, zany and even educational. Audiences members range in age from three on up to 11, plus parents, seniors and adults who love IMPROV. Everyone joins in on the singing and audience participation. Parents are often heard to say, "I think I liked it better than the kids."


Tom McCabe, begins with a classic tale known to one and all and adapts it, modernizes it and adds twits. Each show features just three actors. In order to tell the tale, the actors work as a team, playing multiple roles, creating props and costumes, solving problems and drafting people out of the audience to help. Educationally speaking, every production models the joys and challenges of unstructured play.


The name Paint Box alludes to the theatre’s emphasis on children’s art. Above the stage we hang a 9’ by 12’ projection screen. Prior to the entrance each character and/or as we move to a new locale, a painting of the character or the location, painted by a local child artist, is projected onto the screen. Each production features more than 20 original art works from children ranging in age from 3 – 14. The screen is also used to enhance literacy. Through PowerPoint, we project words, phrases, math word problems, and riddles – all related to the production. In order, to assure that even our youngest audience members are able to follow along, the audience (Yes, even the dads) has to read the projected words out loud.