Interactive Plays for Children

The plays run about 40 minutes

  • A to Zeus: Greek Myths - Exciting, Funny & Gross - Greek Mythology bursts onto the stage in this storytelling program as tales of Zeus, Athena, and Greek heroes are presented in costume and interactive performance. Audience members become characters, answer questions, and play a game to increase their knowledge of Greek myths. 

  • Big Steps: American Tall Tales- Paul Bunyan, acting as the narrator, recounts bigger-than-life deeds of legendary men and women of young America: Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, Sal Fink, Annie Christmas and Pecos Bill. Paul uses audience members to help him out. And he slips in a few stories about himself. 

  • *Captain Bobella of the Beast is an original tale of the fierce Captain Bobella and the clever crewman Lagee. When Lagee smiles, laughs and SINGS on board the Beast, Captain Bobella sends him walking the plank. At that moment fog rolls in and Lagee uses it to free himself and help Bobella learn to smile. Audience members play other crew mates and have to swab the deck and tie knots. 

  • The Case of the Missing Pet- Teal Gecko is an expert sleuth and Avis wants to learn how to be one. But when Avis’s pet rock disappears, Avis knows that this mystery has just turned serious! Avis learns a little bit about detective work and a lot about friendship. 

  • Digging for Leprechaun's Gold. The lazy human, Fergal, doesn't want to work and she won't have to if she can catch a leprechaun and get his gold. Fergal has to use a lot of brain power to catch Ba, a tricky Leprechaun. Will Fergal get Ba? And if she does, will Ba escape? This interactive show is based on the Irish tale The Field of Boliauns. Aye, 'tis.

  • The Grasshopper and the Ants is based on the famous Aesop’s fable. The grasshopper is having fun this summer, nothing but fun. The ants are busy gathering food for the winter. Grasshopper wants the ants to play and enjoy themselves but they know that their colony will starve in the winter if they don’t work now. The grasshopper discovers his mistake when it could be too late. Audience members play industrious ants. 

  • Jack and the Beanstalk- Jack sells his cow for magic beans. His mother isn’t too happy about that. But Jack discovers his father’s things in a castle at the top of the grown beanstalk. Humorously based on the fairytale, the play uses audience members to play several parts. 

  • The Magical Factual Planet Pursuit. Fairy Godfather wants to help Mel to go to the ball and dance with the prince. But Mel is a contemporary girl who needs help with a science report. The wand has a mind of its own and takes both of them on an adventure through space. 

  • Mime Loud & Clear- Dispelling the myth that mime is just a way to harass people, this program teaches audience members techniques in this communication art form. The artist performs AND audience members perform! A delightful show that  emphasizes reading and leaves the audience smiling.

  • Paul Bunyan was a giant logger. Paul, Babe the Blue Ox, Val Do-it, along with his crew—the Elmers, Ole Olsen, Johnny Inkslinger, and others—have adventures from one coast to the other: snow so cold it’s blue; six Mississippi Rivers instead of one; giant mosquitoes; and deserts. 

  • Princess on a Pea is based on the fairytale about a prince looking for a true princess. The queen tries to hurry the process by having balls and inviting princesses to the castle but nothing seems to work. When a princess arrives soaking wet from a storm, the queen is sure she’s the one for her son.

  • Puss in Boots- Leave it to a clever cat to help poor Thomas by delivering a few gifts to the king, teaching Thomas manners, arranging for a meeting between Thomas and the princess, and by freeing a people enslaved by an ogre. What a busy day! Audience members play animals and people in this play based on the well-known tale. 

  • Teller of Tales and Spinner of Yarns. In this staging for classroom-sized audiences, the storyteller brings to life classic tales, fables, and songs with stories, weaving the words and the voice together to mesmerize the listener. Then with a twist the narrator turns the audience into the creators, encouraging  them to write and draw their own stories.

  • *Tortoise and the Hare is based on the famous Aesop’s fable. When Hare boasts about how good he is, and is impolite to the other animals in the forest, Tortoise takes action by challenging Hare to a race. Audience members play other forest animals.

 

  • *Busy Christmas Eve- Evergreen, a supervisor elf, is trying to get Santa's sleigh loaded, the tree decorated, the choir rehearsed and a bazillion other things done. Tinsel and the rest of the elves (audience) help him so that Evergreen can get the box of ornaments for their tree. But Tinsel has to improvise when Evergreen finally just falls asleep when everything on his list is done. 

 

*also a 20-25 min version of the play.