Cooking up Science in the Kitchen Theater

Carnegie, Jan/Feb 2004

FEATURED FAVORITE

Carnegie Science Center's Kitchen Theater has a little bit of everything-humor, science, and tasty tidbits to try. And to create each show, the three-person Kitchen Theater crew has to do a little bit of everything.

Unlike a TV cooking show, the Kitchen Theater has no directors, writers, cameramen, sound technicians, or prep people behind the scenes assisting the chef. All those jobs-plus the actual presentation-are left to Tom Barnard, Richard Johnson, and Apryl Sparbanie.

So who are these multi-talented individuals? Well, Barnard completed a culinary apprenticeship and has a degree from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Sparbanie majored in theater at Edinboro University, and Johnson's computer animation and multimedia degree is used to create animations-shown on the Kitchen Theater's TVs during shows-that explain the recipe's science. "Richard is also a good cook," says Barnard. "He will 'massage' recipes and make them better."

Weekly meetings, which include other Science Center staff members, cover everything from how to draw bigger audiences and cleanliness (like any restaurant, the Kitchen Theater must meet health board standards) to logistics, when to retire a show, and what new recipes to try. When possible, a program will be linked to a new exhibit. For instance, when Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure was shown at the Omnimax Theater, the staff prepared plum pudding-the last dish the crew ate before setting sail.

Since scripts for each 15- to 20-minute show provide background information about only the recipe and the science principles, performances must be ad libbed. Frequent rehearsals help, but since shows are tailored to the audience-be it preschoolers, teens, or seniors (evening shows for adults are in the works)-the run-throughs act only as a starting point. The ability to think on their feet is a must for any Kitchen Theater presenter as anything can happen-strange questions from the audience, a mixer that won't mix, and the inevitable spilt milk.

Even the grocery shopping is left to the crew. Barnard visits the Strip District twice a week to buy supplies, figuring quantity on what the attendance for that day was over the last three years. Barnard, Johnson, and Sparbanie do the prep work-which can take 20 minutes to three hours depending on the recipe-with help from volunteers Marion Jack and Nan Stedford. Considering there are at least three Kitchen Theater shows scheduled daily during the week (that number rises on school group days, weekends, and during the holidays) with only 90 minutes between performances, that's a lot of dicing, chopping, and washing.

Finally, Kitchen Theater presenters must be people-persons.

"I love the kids," says Johnson. "Everyone I work with is great and we really work off each other well, but the energy the kids give you is the best."

Kitchen Theater is funded by H.J. Heinz Company Foundation, Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, Woodmode Cabinetry and Marcus Kitchens, Corin by Dupont, and Kitchen Aid.