Update 4/14: The play has opened and there's loads of great photos on Facebook.

First Report: The theater and dance students at the Academy for the Arts, Science, and Technology (AAST) have been busy throughout the month of March "growing" a Kapok tree made of recycled materials.

The 25' x 12' tree is a creative combination of many recycled materials, including wood, chicken wire, paper, and plastic bottles; making it a truly "green" project. Hand-made exotic flowers, tropical sounds, and discarded palm fronds add to the colorful, rain forest environment being created in the Academy theater for the upcoming performance of "The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest," by Lynne Cherry, a childrens' story book.

This largely student-generated production is a collaboration among Dance, Theater, Education majors with much appreciated assistance from Art and Environmental Science. Approximately 1400 primary and elementary students will be attending performances during the day on April 13, 14, and 15, 2011. April 15th is also Academy Expo Day. Show times for the community are April 13 & 14 at 7:00 PM.

For more information, call 843-903-8460.