The chickens have certainly come home to roost in Trike Theatre’s “Chicken Story Time”, a charming adaptation of Sandra Asher’s book of the same name.
“The play is set around a library story time, where the librarian is coming in to tell stories to the kids,” says Trike’s artistic director, Kassie Misiewicz. “And a chicken puppet comes in, which surprises the librarian, but the chicken loves to read books — and chaos ensues. The audience gets involved by listening to the stories, but also singing and dancing as we’re moving from one week to the next, and more and more chickens show up.
“It’s a story that shows the value of reading stories and going to your library.”
The show is part of Trike’s “Little Trike” series, theater designed for audiences from 2 to 5 years old. Misiewicz says “Chicken Story Time” stays true to that series’ mission of interactive theater for the younger set.
“It’s a participatory, immersive theater experience,” she says. “It’s an intimate environment, and we make sure that the kids are never more than one person away from the stage or a performer. They get to be a part of the action.
“Developmentally, kids that are in preschool are starting to learn how to be an audience, but really the way they explore the world is through creative play. They might go to the library story hour and watch the librarian do what she does, then they go home and re-create the experience at home. They learn about life and the world around them through their own engagement through play, so this type of theater is perfect for that age group.”
Fans of the plays’ author will get an extra treat — author Sandra Asher will be appearing at Bentonville Public Library at 10:30 a.m. on May 8 and Fayetteville Public Library at 10:30 a.m. on May 9.
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FAQ
Trike Theatre:
‘Chicken Story Time’
WHEN — 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. May 15-19
WHERE — Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale
AND
WHEN — 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. May 22-26
WHERE — Trike Theatre in Bentonville
COST — $6
INFO — 464-5084
