The Austin Public Library received a Library Services and Technology Act Grant from the Minnesota Department of Education to partner with the Austin Area Commission for the Arts to offer arts classes to senior citizens at libraries throughout Mower County.

The classes will be taught by local artists, and will span all art forms including theatre, dance, visual, and literary arts. Topics will be chosen based on the needs of the library and the artists available to teach them.

Please contact Jennie Knoebel at 507-434-0934 or director@paramounttheatre.org if you are interested in teaching a class or know someone who would be interested in teaching a class.

Each class will be six weeks long, and the teachers will be paid. Our first training session for the teaching artists will be held at the LeRoy Public Library at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Prior to our meeting, we are asking participants to complete or have started the online training through the National Center for Creative Aging.

The training is estimated to take between 12-15 hours.

The Matchbox Children’s Theatre has been busy at the Historic Paramount Theatre preparing for the musical production of “There’s an Alligator Under My Bed, A Nightmare in My Closet and Something in My Attic,” which will be performed at 7 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Directed by Susan Hansen and musical direction by Coni Nelson, the show is based on books by well-known American children’s book writer and illustrator Mercer Mayer. He has published more than 300 books, and is best known for his “Little Critter” and “Little Monster” stories.

The show will feature 14 talented local actors. Tickets are $5 for youth 14 and younger and $7 for adults, and can be purchased at the Paramount Theatre box office Tuesday-Friday from 12-5pm or online at austinareaarts.org.