Young children love to explore their world through drama—characters, dialogue, story arcs, and props are all standard elements of a child’s play. It is no surprise then that professional theatre has long been regarded as a way to support children’s social-emotional, cognitive, and creative development. Increasingly, there is an international interest in theatre for very young audiences, and the Wall Street Journal reported on a “baby boom” in American theatre, with a marked upswing in the number of stage plays being written and produced for toddlers and preschoolers.
Fueled by ongoing research into developmental psychology and theatre arts, the Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) of Minneapolis presents in this book four of its newly commissioned plays for preschoolers. CTC is widely recognized as the leading theatre for young people and families in North America; it received the 2003 Tony award for regional theatre, and Time mag
Trade Review
Congratulations to the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis on this book of wonderful plays for preschoolers. We applaud the CTC for their continual commitment to the arts, for inspiring young children, and for encouraging new adventures in theater for the entire family.—Peter van Roden, Vice President Themed Entertainment, Sesame Workshop
Table of ContentsContents
PrefaceAmy Susman-Stillman
IntroductionPeter Brosius
Bert and Ernie, Goodnight!Barry Kornhauser
The Biggest Little House in the ForestRosanna Staffa
The Cat’s JourneyFabrizio Montecchi
Mercy Watson to the Rescue!Victoria Stewart
Contributors
