Experiencing theatre through youthful eyes

11/6/2024

November is filled with excellent opportunities for shared live performing art experiences for cross generations. Bringing children and youth to a show geared toward their age. If variety is the spice of life, this month offers an enticing cultural buffet sure to satisfy the appetites of young and old alike.

“Charlotte’s Web” (Tallgrass Theatre Company), “Anastasia: The Musical (Youth Edition)” (Class Act Productions – CAP Theatre), “Peter and the Starcatcher” (Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre) and “The Last Stop on Market Street” (Des Moines Playhouse – Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre with Pyramid Theatre Company and City Voices) will vie for spots on your cultural calendar. This lineup presents a tantalizing array of opportunities to share the vibrancy of live theatre with young ones while stimulating conversations about the content of the shows and the messages they deliver.

 

“Charlotte’s Web” at Tallgrass

E.B. White’s classic book has been adapted to film, television, a miniseries and animation, yet arguably the most engaging evolution for this story is live theatre. Children know the story intimately, as it explores themes of death, friendship, change and innocence. This was an excellent choice for Tallgrass to further expand its Seedling’s Children’s Theatre programming.

“Tackling a beloved classic like ‘Charlotte’s Web’ for our second mainstage production has been such an honor for Seedlings and has given us the opportunity to live out a lot of Tallgrass’ core values,” Maranda Turner, the program’s director and director of education, shared. 

She went on to share about the core values and programming for Seedlings. 

“Seedlings’ camps, workshops and mainstage shows are all created to enrich young people and families’ access to and love of theatre. Adding our young designers and run crew members — also known as our Backstage Ninjas — to ‘Charlotte’s Web’ has deepened our well of talent and given opportunities for mentorship and collaboration. We are excited to watch our audience react to the fruits of this multigenerational approach.”

 

“Anastasia” continues to enchant

Class Act Productions, better known as CAP Theatre, has created a franchise based on producing youth edition musicals, and “Anastasia: The Musical Youth Edition” is the latest offering from this intrepid company. The strategy behind shortened versions of these popular stories is to bring time-sensitive productions (usually about 60-70 minutes, with an intermission) to encourage families to expose their youngest to the magic of live theatre.

Director Julie Rodish-Reed shared her thoughts about this production, which follows the pattern for all CAP shows which feature young talent, ages 7 to 17, both on stage and on the production teams. “ ‘Anastasia’ has a wonderful blend of seasoned CAP performers as well as some actors new to the stage. They all come together to create what will be a magical experience for its audiences as they are swept back to the twilight of the Russian Empire and the excitement of 1920s Paris.”

 

Tony-winning “Starcatcher” graces the DMYAT stage

Inspired by J. M. Barrie’s classic character, Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up, first appeared in Barrie’s adult novel, “The Little White Bird” (1902). Captivated by his character, a boy described as “betwixt-and-between,” Barrie put him at the center of his 1904 stage play titled “Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.” Barrie later adapted and expanded the play’s storyline into a novel, which was published in 1911 as “Peter and Wendy.”

“Peter and the Starcatcher” is based on the book, “Peter and the Starcatchers” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, and adapted for the stage by Rick Elice. This show explores a backstory for the characters of Peter Pan, Mrs. Darling, Tinker Bell and Hook, while also serving as a prequel for Barrie’s 1911 novel. The action is intense, sweeping from marauding pirates to jungles, unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes. “Peter and the Starcatcher” engagingly explores the depths of greed and despair, as well as the bonds of friendship, duty and love.

 

Newbery Medal winner on the Playhouse stage

In one of the most powerful youth theatre collaborations to happen in central Iowa, the Des Moines Playhouse, Pyramid Theatre Company and City Voices unite to bring the 2015 children’s book written by American author Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson to vibrant, musical life on stage. The story follows CJ as his powerful life influencer, Nana, opens his eyes, mind and heart to a wonderful world of possibilities and grace. “Last Stop on Market Street” is the first show in the newly renovated Studio Theatre, and seating will be general admission. Doors will open 30 minutes prior to curtain for seating. ♦

John Busbee is a creative project developer, critic, playwright, author, producer and media professional. He has produced his weekly show, The Culture Buzz, on KFMG since 2007.