Theater for kids | Wired Momma

Category Archives: Theater for kids

Imagination Stage’s The Night Fairy: A Review

October 1, 2014

Saturday evening we were lucky enough to enjoy Imagination Stage’s new production The Night Fairy, which kicks off the theatre’s 2014-2014 season. Unfortunately we haven’t yet read the book The Night Fairy written by Baltimore-based author Laura Amy Schlitz but my eldest since added it to the top of her list.

Flory, the Night Fairy, played by Tia Shearer. Photo credit: Imagination Stage

My youngest has been a hardcore fairy lover for several years now. She tends to get most of her fairy inspiration from Tinkerbelle but she’ll take any fairy she can get – definitely not picky over here. My oldest is neutral on fairies but she’s a hardcore animal lover. I knew going into the play that it would be a true hit with our crowd.

Flory is the star of the play, a night time fairy who tries to live in the day time world. But it’s her supporting cast of animal garden friends, led by Skuggle, the squirrel, who help deliver a must-see performance for kids ages 4-10.

Flory gets her wings snipped by a bat one night and finds herself without any friends living in a garden. Skuggle, who before running into Flory, was perfectly content living nameless while constantly scrounging for food, quickly surmises that Flory is a night-time fairy and shouldn’t be out during the day. The creative explanation for what makes for a night or day fairy is perfect for the kids and made absolute sense to mine.

Skuggle the ever-hungry Squirrel played by Erin Weaver. Photo credit: Imagination Stage.

Flory goes about trying to fit in during the day time while learning valuable lessons about friendship, loyalty and how to be brave. Beyond Skuggle, the totally hilarious squirrel played by Erin Weaver, we meet a hummingbird, a racoon, a wren, a spider and a bat throughout the hour long play. The audience is whisked away into the possibilities of garden adventure through the tall grass, willowy trees and blossoming flowers in your own back yard.

The play relies not only on valuable lessons in friendship but some classic physical comedy and outstanding animal costumes and set design to deliver a home run performance. I’m always especially happy when they don’t break for intermission, which this play does not. It really is an outstanding, fun, creative and heartfelt performance perfectly suited for kids ages 4-10.

My girls absolutely loved it and I’d totally go again. Frankly, I found myself hoping there would be a school field trip before the play closes on October 26.

Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased here. Catch The Night Fairy Saturdays and Sundays between now and the end of October. Beware Disney and dog lovers – next up at Imagination Stage: 101 Dalmatians from November 19 – January 11, 2015.

Disclosure: Imagination Stage invited me and my family to attend opening night. My opinions here are all my own.

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Theater for kids

Summer Kids Theatre: The Big Friendly Giant Review

July 15, 2014

“Mommy, I am going to read The BFG next,” casually remarked my 8-year-old at the conclusion of Imagination Stage’s current stage production of Roald Dahl’s The BFG.

Could there be a better, more concise, or positive review of a play than those words? Especially coming from my not-overly-inclined-to-read-on-a-whim kid. It was music to my ears. One week later, she has officially cracked the book, further proving just how much she enjoyed the play.

The BFG (James Konicek) and Sophie (Megan Graves) celebrate friendship and bravery in THE BFG at Imagination Stage through August 10. Photo Credit: Imagination Stage

We recently took a much-needed break from the sun and pool to head indoors for Imagination Stage’s new production, Roald Dahl’s The BFG (Big Friendly Giant). Full disclosure: We are avid Matilda fans here, including a whirlwind 24-hour trip to NYC over spring break to see it on Broadway, but we weren’t overly familiar with the BFG plot.

In fact, I don’t even think I read The BFG as a kid.

I know, I know. A disgrace.

#Don’tTellMyDaughter

For anyone else who might not know, the BFG includes all the essential elements for kid theater-going success: farting jokes, enormous giants, a good-fighting-evil arc, a brave little girl and some explanation of where our dreams come from. In our house, my youngest shares a name with the show’s main character, Sophie, so we had that added perk. Also chez moi, zapping bad dreams from heads before bed-time is a nightly ritual, so any chance to learn how these dreams get in our heads is a win-win for my girls.

The play opens with little Sophie’s cold and unloving orphan existence. While she’s looking out the window one sleepless night, she happens to spot a huge giant. According to Dahl, the master of exploring kid fears and imaginations, mean giants roam the globe when humans are sleeping, and do horrible things like eat children.

#NomNom

Honestly, some might consider the Dahl stories too dark and morbid but I love them. Just as the children

The mean giants of Giant Country plot their next move during The Witching Hour in THE BFG at Imagination Stage. Photo Credit: Imagination Stage

are revolting in Matilda but they rise above their adult oppressors and prevail, the same proves true in The BFG. In this case, Sophie happens to spot the one giant who doesn’t eat children, so while he snatches her from her own bedroom (hello possible nightmares and kidnapping fears), he is nice and caring and hides her from the mean children-eating giants in his giant-land.

At this point, you might be wondering the right age group for the play? My 5-year-old came along and she never once was scared or upset by the plot. The only challenge we faced with her was the length of the play, especially because it includes a short intermission. Anyone who follows my theater reviews knows I loathe intermission for kid plays. I confess, I was disappointed they brought back the intermission for this play because Imagination Stage had eliminated it from the past few consecutive plays. Bottom line, Mr. WM and me both agreed that early Elementary through 6th grade is the ideal target for this one, my rising Kindergartener was questionable but it wasn’t inappropriate or outrageous to bring her along. She just understand it or appreciate it like her older sister did and it got to be a little long for her.

The Queen of England (Susan Lynskey) honors the BFG (James Konicek) for his courage in THE BFG at Imagination Stage. Photo Credit: Imagination Stage

In the end, Sophie and the BFG plan to save the world’s children from the mean giants by concocting a clever plan to get inside the Queen of England’s head. Along the way, Dahl successfully mixes farting jokes with the ever-proper Queen while good wins over evil.

If the kids in your house are Dahl-lovers, I’d highly recommend this summer play. It’s a great chance to escape the heat and explore your little one’s imagination. From my perspective, there is no greater marker of a wonderful theater experience than a child actively seeking out the book after the show.

Catch The BFG now through August 10th. Tickets are on sale for $10 and can be purchased online.

Disclosure: Me and my family were guests of Imagination Stage but my opinions here are all my own.

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

DC Spring Theater: Don’t miss The Jungle Book

April 24, 2014

Kaa the beloved snake. Photo Credit: Mike Horan

Just when I was beginning to think my oldest was starting to become “too old” for Adventure Theatre MTC, they knocked it out of the park, and proved me wrong with their current production “The Jungle Book.”

While the play is based on the book by Rudyard Kipling, I’m willing to guess many families are most familiar with the story thanks to the classic Disney movie. Bottom line, with this version of the story so commonly associated with The Jungle book, tackling this story is no small feat and Adventure Theatre succeeded. All the way to the production, I was thinking about the playful, whimsical Disney movie but in reality, Adventure Theatre MTC transformed Kipling’s tale into a serious, creative and compelling drama for older elementary-aged kids. Don’t get me wrong, my five-year-old was also taken with the show, but it was my 2nd grader and her friends, up to 4th grade, who were transfixed.

I watched the girls throughout the show because I know I’m writing the review but it’s really about the kids – and if the kids are reacting – or not reacting – that’s how I know what I’m going to write. Typically I find Adventure Theatre productions parallel the approach of a Pixar film; they are usually silly, whimsical and have jokes for adults and kids. Not this one. I hesitate to call “The Jungle Book” a drama but it almost really is a drama. It isn’t a silly, light tale.

The shirtless Mowgli and the silly monkeys. Photo Credit: Mike Horan

Mowgli, the orphaned boy raised by wolves, has grown into an adolescent and his mentors, the friendly bear Baloo and the worrisome, anxious panther Bagheera, fret over how to help him survive the jungle and protect him from his greatest foe, Shere Khan, the Bengali tiger. Notably different from the movie, the wolf pack leader who rescued Mowgli and raised him, a female wolf, has a pivotal role in the play, demonstrating the strength and power of a female pack leader.

I kept waiting for the jokes and the pranks. And aside from the silly monkeys, they didn’t really come. The story follows the path to growing up, of forging your own path and learning from your mistakes, and facing your fears. It’s the Adventure Theatre all grown up. Seriously. My 5-year-old loved the costumes and the silly monkeys, she was taken with the snake and generally loved seeing all the animals but she did grow restless before the end of the 45-minute production.

But the older kids – they were absorbed into the story. Naturally they noted Mowgli wasn’t wearing a shirt (“Eww!”) because they’re little kids but that didn’t stop them from raving about the production once it was over. They talked about it all the way home from the show and the true test – were still talking about it the next day and the day after. Personally, I’d like to give props to the creative genius behind Shera Khan’s costume. If you plan to go, make a point to find the forks on the front of his costume. Who thought “hey, forks will complete the look of this menacing, evil, tiger?” Not just who thought that one up, but who successfully completed the costume with those forks? I was delighted when my eyes fell over that detail and several of my friends commented on the same thing after the show.

#TigerCostumesNeedForks

#MentalNoteforHalloween

If that isn’t a reason to load your elementary school aged kids into the car and head to Adventure Theatre for some spring time arts & theater, I don’t what is. We are lucky to live here and have such access to the creative arts catered to our young kids and personally, I’m grateful to such places as Adventure Theatre MTC.

You can see “The Jungle Book” through May 25th, tickets are $19 and can be purchased online.

Disclosure: The Adventure Theatre invited me and my family to see the show the night before it opened. My opinions here are all my own.

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

DC Events with Kids, Theater for kids

Theater Review: Rumpelstiltskin at Imagination Stage

February 17, 2014

“In the place where day meets night,” is the setting for Imagination Stage’s newest production, Rumpelstiltskin. I was immediately interested upon hearing the narrator’s words because is there a better time of day, than dusk?

And so the audience travels to this magical place where day meets night, where fairies live alongside humans and where a Brothers Grimm fable inspires us to talk with our kids about promises, beauty, power and names. Is your head swirling?

Wrapped up tightly in this 90-plus minute show is a slew of life lessons, some embroiled with riddles and poetry, to entertain and provoke audience members. If you head to the show with your kids, have them plan to keep track of how many promises are made during the show…and how many are broken. We had fun with that exercise after the show concluded.

Rumpelstiltskin (Matthew Pauli) demands a very high price from the
Miller’s Daughter (Katherine Turner) before he can spin the rest of the straw
into gold in RUMPELSTILTSKIN at Imagination Stage. Photo Credit: Margot Schulman

We absolutely adored this newest production from Imagination Stage, with one exception. Billed as best suited for those ages 5 and up, I would disagree, at least with my 5-year-old. She was definitely too young for it and she is a pretty mature audience member because she’s been going to the theater since she was around 2-years-old. My 8-year-old, a totally different story, she was as enraptured as me and Mr. Wired Momma (In the end, my oldest gave it a hearty two-thumbs up.)

But I totally disagree with Imagination Stage on the age recommendations and honestly wouldn’t suggest it for anyone younger than first grade. Do not get me wrong, it’s a delightful show, the lessons are plentiful and the riddles playful, but in the absence of any large animal puppets, limited physical comedy, spunky songs and potty humor – all of which are ingredients guaranteed to delight the youngest theater-goers among us – I think it’s not suited for the youngest kids. If I were to go again, and honestly I would love too, I’d only bring my oldest.

Once the Miller’s Daughter (Katherine Turner) guesses the correct name of
the riddling fairy, Rumpelstiltskin (Matthew Pauli) must be banished in
RUMPELSTILTSKIN at Imagination Stage. Photo Credit: Margot Schulman

The small cast is brilliant in each of their roles. Mr. WM especially loved the pranks and riddles of Rumpelstiltskin. I agreed that he was fantastic in this role. I appreciated the Miller’s daughter, how her father wanted for her to have a life of beauty and to want for nothing, and though she was raised to do absolutely nothing for herself, in the end she found her strength for her baby and she found her voice to make the king realize how manipulative and controlling he had been. Honestly, at one point, I was a little concerned that we were watching this woman marry the very man who imprisoned her. Ultimately, she puts him in his place.

As with any story by the Brothers Grimm, it’s definitely a little dark and twisty, but the life lessons ought to inspire some lively discussions with your kids. I also applaud Imagination Stage for cutting out the intermission – making it much easier especially if you do bring younger kids. I definitely recommend this one, especially as we struggle through this dark cold winter. The show is playing only until March 16 and ticket prices start at $10.

Disclosure: Me and my family were guests of Imagination Stage but my opinions here are all my own.

1 Comment - Leave a comment!

Theater for kids