Theatre IV opened their 2011 – 2012 Season with a musical twist of The Little Red Hen running July 1 – 31, 2011.
Last Saturday, we celebrated with a Richmondmom.com BOGO day Saturday, July 23, 2o11 at The Barksdale Theatre. I was a little apprehensive, because the kids had been so cranky with all the recent (ridiculous) heat.
We walked into the packed theatre (line out the door!) and the anticipation started growing: “Mama, what’s it gonna be? Will there be lots of animals?” My two little ones, ages six and four, were anxious to get into their seats. Once we had found our seats, we met up with our friends the Semps and were welcomed to an unusual site–along with the Theatre IV actors on stage at the Barksdale along with a dozen or so adorable little kids from the audience.
They had assembled a few moments before the audience arrived and planned a “preshow” of “The Three Little Bears” using tiny bodies as props (the little boy who was the “light” was precious as his face literally lit up with each tug on his “light switch.”) My kiddos were fascinated watching other little people like them on stage, and it drew them into an imaginary world immediately. By the time the “real” Little Red Hen show started, we were fixated on the talented adults in overalls who had an uncanny ability to connect with the audience. We loved the simplicity of the big red barn, the central hub on the Barksdale set, and the creative scenes where props like “The Fence” take on a living, singing, perfectly human form.
The one-hour timeframe was perfect for our little people, and we did see folks walking out with kids two and under–wouldn’t recommend for under three. —Kate Hall
In the midst of what seemed to be the never-ending heat wave I was home alone with my crew. It has become more challenging to find things they all enjoy with the ages ranging 3 (almost) to 9 years old but they all have a true love for Theatre IV performances so a mid-day theatre performance was perfect!
There is nothing more incredible than watching your kids be drawn into a story. From the moment the play began my kids watched with rapt attention. As always, Theatre IV entertains the children but does not forget the adults and the creative use of language and body language had me laughing along with the kids. My kids easily made it through the hour long performance, here are their thoughts in their own words:
A (8yo): My favorite character was Red Hen. My favorite part was when Sheep hid his eyes. I disliked the part when Red Hen got sick. I like how Gus was so nice. The Fox was kind of scary.
M2 (4yo): The Three Bears was so funny. I liked that other kids were the furniture. For The Little Red Hen my favorite part was when Fox tricked Gus to take short cut.
M (6y0): The Little Red Hen was lonely and Gus helped her make friends. I also liked that the Fox becomes a vegetarian and does not eat the other animals.
B (9y0): The play was really funny. I laughed watching the animals chase the Red Hen! My favorite characters were Gus and Fox.
I: I loved the Little Red Hen. Because I didn’t like Fox – he was being mean.
it was apparent to me that all 5 kids took something away from the play. Theatre IV consistently hits the mark, and today’s performance was spot-on! –Kate Semp
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Don’t miss this side-splittin’, foot-stompin’ country musical spin on the classic tale! This hysterical musical adventure follows The Little Red Hen’s common sense encountering the tricks of the conniving fox to lead the sheep, the cow, the horse, and the pig to a life lesson. A meet and greet with the cast and lunch (for purchase) will follow each performance. The whole family will be hootin’ ‘n hollerin’!
Tickets: $14-$18 per person.
Lunch will be available for $4 per person (Chick-Fil-A nuggets or sandwich & brownie & chips). Join Theatre IV after the show, meet the cast, and have a delicious lunch. Call 282-2620 for tickets or more information.
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