‘Dog’s Job’ offers answers for tiny audiences
LARA JO HIGHTOWER
lhightower@nwadg.com
Bob the dog has a problem. His best friend, Phoenix, is about to go off to kindergarten, leaving Bob home alone. What will he do with all of his extra time? In “Dog’s Job” — Trike Theatre’s new Theatre for Young Audiences show — Bob has an audience full of kids, ages toddler to 6, to help him figure out the answer to that question.
Kassie Misiewicz, Trike’s founder and artistic director, says its Theatre for Young Audiences is an introduction for kids who might have never before experienced live theater. It is very interactive with a “no shushing policy.”
“For a lot of our families, this will be the very first time they will see a show and feel at home and comfortable,” she says. “When they go to a movie, they have to be quiet. When they go to church, they have to be quiet. But with this, it’s like, ‘Talk! We want to hear your voice and your ideas. We’re creating a place specifically for you, to meet you where you are, and we love where you are. We love that you’re curious and creative, that you have your own ideas and want to help. But you’re also learning how to allow adults to play imaginary characters, and you’re learning to buy into those imaginary worlds.’”
Misiewicz encourages the audience to get to the theater around 30 minutes before the performance begins to view the interactive exhibits set up in the lobby area, which are designed to set the stage for the show. And families will all take home a “Play-in-a-Box,” part of a unique program funded by the Walton Family Foundation, which Misiewicz says no other theater for youth in the country is doing.
“The purpose is twofold,” explains Misiewicz. “It helps our families increase their appreciation for the impact of theater and the live performance experience, and it also increases our young people’s literacy. …When parents are involved and place value in the arts, a young person’s cultural capacity increases by 60 percent. The parents have a huge impact on what their kids value and what they think is possible and how they view the world.”
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FAQ
‘Dog’s Job’
WHEN — 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sept. 21 and 28
WHERE — Trike Theatre, 902 S.W. Second St. in Bentonville
COST — $6; children younger than 2 free
INFO — 464-5084
FYI — “If any groups — homeschool groups, or mom’s club groups — want to bring groups during school days, they can schedule a performance between Sept. 24 and Sept. 27,” says Misiewicz. Call the theater for more information.
