The Festival features:
- Six delightfully entertaining children’s theater shows from Italy, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and the U.S.
- May 10, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. - FREE Activities on Star Plaza. Balloon Making, Face Painting with Flower Entertainment Inc., Caricatures, Roaming Magicians and Chalk Art. Enjoy a snack or meal from Dynomite Burgers!
- May 10, 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. - FREE Concert with Justin Roberts and the Not Ready For Naptime Players! GRAMMY Nominated, Justin Roberts is truly one of the “all-stars” of the indie family music scene.
- May 10, 11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - FREE Craft Workshops at Idea Center including Puppet Pals (Construct a puppet based on the whimsical marionette puppetry style found in Pinocchio) and Deep Sea Discovery (Explore the creation of the beautiful water-based images seen in Bleu!: The Mediterranean Sea)
BLEU!
The Mediterranean Sea
Compagnia T.P.O. (Italy), May 9-10
Taking the classical mythology of the Mediterranean as a starting point, Bleu explains the meeting between a sailor and a sea nymph. The story begins when the nymph drops a pearl into the sea, which the sailor has to find. The sailor sets off on an adventure-packed voyage across the sea, transforming this story into an odyssey of discovery and knowledge.
Fluff
Cre8ion (Australia), May 9-10
The Gingham family is very concerned for all of the lost and discarded toys in the world. They travel all around to retrieve them and bring them to their colorful home of odd shaped boxes where they welcome them to the family. Each toy is introduced one-by-one and, after seeing a slide show of how they came to be lost, is given a vocal sound, a movement, a piece of music, a nightlight and a nice comfy bed.
LOVE
Terrapin Puppet Theatre (Australia), May 9-10
Oslo Rogers has a very fun mum called Ruthy, and lives in a very fun town called Mellingong. But now a very un-fun problem (called a big approaching storm) is forcing everyone to head for The Clondike, the big town hall on the hill. Join this very brave 10-year-old, as he races against the elements and discovers a whole world of stories, all held in a milk-float’s worth of objects.
Pinocchio
Tout à Trac (Canada), May 9-10
If the story of this little puppet seems timeless, that is because it is about much more than just his nose that grows longer whenever he tells a lie. Pinocchio is one of the most beautiful representations of mankind, with all its faults and shortcomings but also its most touching and noble aspects.
WhyOhWhyOhWhy?
African Pourquoi Tales Charlotte Blake Alston (USA), May 9-10
WhyOhWhyOhWhy? African Pourquoi Tales– Tales that make you say, “Hmmm.” The essential themes and lessons of this genre of centuries old African folk stories reveal why they have stood the test of time. Often offering creative and humorous ideas for natural phenomena and man’s relationship with the earth and the universe, these timeless stories were primarily designed to offer the listener food for thought. At the center of many of these tales are characters you may know: Anansi the Spider from Ghana, or Sungura the Rabbit from Kenya.
Miracoco
Architects of Air (United Kingdom), May 6-10
The Miracoco luminarium is a stunning sculpture of light and color. Vivid reflections of liquid color spill across the curved walls creating a world apart from the normal and every day. The radiance of the daylight transmitted by colored PVC is surprising in its luminosity and makes a direct impact on the senses. No two visits are alike as the atmosphere inside alters according to changing weather and light. It is a paradox that such a stimulating environment can simultaneously be so calming.
Tickets for International Children’s Theater Festival performances are on sale now at the PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office (1510 Euclid Ave.), online at playhousesquare.org/childrensfestival or by phone at (216) 241-6000. Tickets for each performance are $15; Miracoco tickets are $5. Tickets are not required for free activities.
