SecondStory Rep: Show Your Child the Stage
Parents who want to show their children there's more to entertainment than the stale world of TV cartoons might want to check out the Children's Theater that's part of Second Story Rep. Among the places to introduce one's child to the niceties of live performance, there are few better in Seattle's Eastside area, and theater enthusiasts will also appreciate the offerings at Second Story Rep for older audiences, featuring a range of local actors with an impressive list of credits.
Located on the second story across the way from Macy's in Redmond Town Center, Second Story Repertory Theater's self-proclaimed mission, which has provided the theater's direction since it was first established in 1999, is "to entertain, educate, and enlighten the diverse communities of artists and audiences on Seattle's Eastside."
The Children's Theater series, which accompanies other programs like rock and folk concerts, improv comedy, poetry readings, and adult (but family friendly) musicals, comedies, and dramas, provides Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances aimed at audiences children four years old and up. Children younger than four are welcome at Sunday performances and even receive a special discount. Performances can be booked for grade schools as well, or special field trips arranged by contacting the box office.
Children's plays range from retellings of classic fairytales like Cinderella or Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to adaptations of beloved books like Bunnicula or Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Plenty of audience participation is encouraged from the audience, who can choose seats or sit on the carpeted floor near the performance area. After a performance, children can meet the characters and even have their pictures taken with them.
Teaching children to take the stage themselves is another focus for the theater, which offers classes for pre-schoolers through high-school students.
The theater's location makes it easy to combine with a shopping trip or visit to one of the restaurants located in Redmond Town Center. Its small size means that sometimes adult performances are uncomfortably cramped, while the seat one has chosen may have a drastic effect on how well one can see the stage, but luckily these considerations play a much smaller part in children's performances.
Posted on May 15, 2011 by Cat Rambo
