Pro-Art presents The Vanishing Elephant | Pound, Va

Opu, a young boy in Bengal, dreams of one day becoming an elephant trainer. When he befriends Janu, an Asian Elephant, their friendship is the first step on an adventure so huge, it spans decades and continents. On their separate paths they face many challenges–fearsome encounters, stormy seas and strange new worlds. Years in the future, Opu, now an old man, hears that world famous magician Harry Houdini will vanish an elephant, live on stage in New York City. Could it really be Janu, Opu’s old friend, so far from home? He, too, must bravely make the long journey into the unknown to find out.

​This moving story of friendship, belonging, and one incredible journey from Bengal to the bright lights of Broadway was named the New York Times ‘Critic’s Pick’, hailing it “an alluring spectacle.”

Cahoots is a theatre company based in Belfast, Ireland producing boldly innovative work for children and their families at home and across the globe. Cahoots NI (Cahoots) was founded by Paul Bosco Mc Eneaney and Zoe Seaton in November 2001. At this time, it was evident that the perception of theatre for children was far behind the times in post-conflict Northern Ireland. Funding and programming for children simply was not being prioritised and Cahoots was determined to change this! In the years since, the company has developed a unique and distinctive performance style concentrating on combining the visual potential of theatre with the age-old popularity of magic and illusion. Cahoots’ work spans a range of genres, from scripted theatre to non-verbal work, dance pieces, immersive experiences, musicals, circus and more.

​The Acting Company develops actors by touring professional theater across America. Founded in 1972 by John Houseman and Margot Harley with the first graduating class of the Drama Division of The Juilliard School, The Company has launched the careers of some 400 actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Mary Lou Rosato, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, Lorraine Toussaint, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, Lisa Banes, Jeffrey Wright, Hamish Linklater, Jesse L. Martin, Roslyn Ruff, Jimonn Cole, Kelley Curran, among many others, while bringing sophisticated theater to hundreds of communities from coast to coast.

Among many accolades, The Acting Company won the 2003 Tony Award for Excellence in the Theater, and recently won the 2019 Audelco Award for Best Play for its production of Nambi E. Kelley’s Native Son directed by Seret Scott.