ART OF DARKNESS : Spend a Low-Budget ‘Night in Fullerton’ Sampling Low-Brow Entertainment

Ever watch a kid eat a box of chocolates? Usually, they grab a handful, line them up in a neat row then systematically jab their thumb into each and every place. If it oozes pink stuff, it goes back in the box. If it doesn’t, it goes in the mouth.

That’s roughly the idea behind “A Night in Fullerton,” a Whitman’s Sampler of performing and visual arts tomorrow night in downtown Fullerton. Between 7 and 11 p.m., visitors can pick from dozens of free exhibits, workshops and performances at 15 local museums, galleries, college campuses and community centers. Most offerings are packaged in bite-sized 15- to 30-minute servings, allowing audiences to sample as much or as little as they please. Admission is free to all activities.

A Night in Fullerton is an inexpensive, stress-free way for parents to introduce children to the arts, said Dorian Hunter, who, along with other local arts leaders--including abstract artist Florence Arnold--launched the event in 1965. (Arnold, 91, continues to serve as an adviser to the festival.)

“Flossie’s first premise was that this should be a family event, that it should be an opportunity for children to see what’s available in the arts” in a non-threatening atmosphere, said Hunter. “I think that sometimes the arts have the stigma of being very high-brow, but a night like this shows that the arts are for everyone.

“It’s very warm and festive, something like a community fair,” she added. “The bright colors, the dancing, the music all help capture the children’s attention and get them involved.”

To make the most of A Night in Fullerton, stop first at the festival’s central information booth, located at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Wilshire Avenue, and pick up a performance schedule and site map. With the guides, families can tailor-make an evening that suits their pace and interests.

You can hustle from show to show on the free shuttle buses (departing on the quarter hour from two locations), or stroll down the avenue and savor just a few offerings. Harbor Boulevard will be closed to vehicular traffic between Commonwealth and Chapman avenues for the entire evening, and street performers, ranging from a Mexican dance troupe to Conceptual Disaster--a self-described “percussion/industrial/noise group” that performs on oil drums and other castoffs--will entertain along the route.

For youngsters, one of the night’s biggest attractions may be “The Magic in Me,” an original play by Dr. Ron Wood, a theater arts instructor from Cal State Fullerton. The 45-minute show, which uses music, mime and dance to teach a lesson on self-esteem, will be performed in the school’s Visual Arts Center at 7:15 and 8:15 p.m. by CSUF’s Kaleidoscope Players, a touring youth theater troupe. The show is geared to elementary school-aged children, but “the experience is common enough to everyone’s childhood to get them very involved,” said Wood. Other CSUF activities include a cartooning demonstration, an art exhibit, and jazz and dance performances.

Meanwhile, at Fullerton College, theater arts instructor Jeff Wirth will present a family-oriented improv/comedy show, “With Wirth.” During the 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. shows, viewers can contribute ideas, props and even their own acting skills to the fast-paced show. At the Fullerton Main Library, children’s librarian Janine Jacobs will charm tots with original puppet shows based on children’s literature between 7 and 9 p.m. Music therapist Gary Greeno will present a family sing-along from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Hunt Branch Library.

Other Night in Fullerton sites include the Fullerton Museum Center, the Eileen Kremen Gallery and the Patrick’s Musician conservatory.

What: “A Night in Fullerton.”

When: Friday, April 26, from 7 to 11 p.m.

Where: Fifteen locations in downtown Fullerton.

Whereabouts: Take the Riverside (91) Freeway to Harbor Boulevard (north). The information booth is located at Harbor Boulevard and Wilshire Avenue. Free parking is available at Pomona and Chapman avenues, Pomona and Wilshire avenues and Amerige and Malden avenues.

Wherewithal: Admission is free.

Where to call: (714) 738-6575.