A children's show can be a transcendent mind-body experience, akin to getting a tattoo underwater, or making out during an eclipse. Transcend boredom with today's Groupon: one ticket to a kids’ show at Center for the Arts (up to a $20 value), located on Staten Island. Choose from the following performances:

• For $6, you get a ticket to Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (a $12 value) on Sunday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m. Recommended for children ages eight to 13.
• For $10, you get a ticket to Black Violin (a $20 value) on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. Recommended for children ages seven and up.
• For $6, you get a ticket to Rainbow Fish (a $12 value) on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m. Recommended for children ages five to nine.

Center for the Arts produces unique music, dance, and comedy performances from the campus of the College of Staten Island. Its children's series brings light-hearted whimsy to that most somber of life stages. Center for the Arts' upcoming kid-friendly offerings include the musical Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, featuring the talent of the ArtsPower National Touring Theatre. The play brings Judy Blume's novel to life as 10-year-old Sheila Tubman deals with hilarious coming-of-age struggles when she moves to Tarrytown, N.Y., for the summer. Black Violin melds together classical music and hip-hop, as two violinists and a DJ fuse the two sonic genres in a way unheard since Beethoven's Symphony No. 12: Mo' Measures, Mo' Problems. Rainbow Fish, also presented by the ArtsPower National Touring Theatre, emphasizes the importance of friendship and generosity in a far more effective fashion than last season's production of Rumble Fish.

All shows run one hour and take place at the 442-seat Williamson Theatre. From your vantage point in the center balcony, you'll enjoy prime sightlines of the stage and the thin, seagull-free air separating you from it.

Groupon is valid for show specified only. In order to sit together, groups must buy all tickets in single Groupon purchase.

Reviews

Center for the Arts received a favorable review from NYC.com:

• For acoustics and comfort, it is an excellent place to see a performance in a modern, high-tech facility. – NYC.com