This winter, Valley families won’t need to travel up north to experience the magic of snowfall as Childsplay Theatre brings The Snowy Day to life at Tempe Center for the Arts. The Snowy Day and other stories by Ezra Jack Keats is on stage weekends from January 21 through March 11, 2018.
Families will follow Peter and his friends as they romp and play, starting snow ball fights and making snow angels in this imaginative musical play about the childhood joys and challenges of growing up.
Using innovative shadow puppetry, Keats’ treasured characters come to life in this humorous and fun adaptation of Whistle for Willie, Goggles!, A Letter to Amy, and The Snowy Day.
Tickets start at $12 and are on sale now at www.childsplayaz.org or at the Tempe Center for the Arts Box Office (480) 350-2822 (ext. 2). The play is recommended for ages 3 and up. Tempe Center for the Arts is located at 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, Ariz. 85281.
Shadow puppets are incorporated into the storytelling of the play in order to recreate some of the classic silhouettes from the illustrations in the books. Additionally, since three actors play multiple roles in the show, the puppets allow for it seem as if there are more characters onstage at once.
“Using shadow puppets gives us the ability to play with perspective—making shadows larger to suggest big kids or smaller to suggest that a character is off in the distance,” Director Katie McFadzen explains.
The 4 p.m. performance on Sunday, January 21 is a special $12 Storybook Preview performance, sponsored by The Steele Foundation. Each family that attends this General Admission preview performance will receive a free book. The American Sign Language (ASL) performance is Sunday, March 4 at 1 p.m. The Snowy Day is sponsored by First Things First.
When asked what she hopes families will take away from their experience at the theatre, McFadzen simply responded: “Joy.”
“The joys of childhood, finding joy in simple everyday things like making snow angels and learning how to whistle, joy in friendship, and joy in birthdays and growing up,” said McFadzen.
The Snowy Day features Savannah Alfred as “Woman,” Andre Johnson as “Man 1,” and Micah DeShazer as “Man 2.” This play was adapted by Jerome Hairston, from the books by Ezra Jack Keats.
Director: Katie McFadzen
Costume Design: Gail Wolfenden-Steib
Scenic Design: Douglas Clarke
Lighting Design: John D. Alexander
Music Director: Thomas Strawser
Puppet Design: Liz Ihlenfeld
Sound Design: Christopher Neumeyer
Stage Manager: Sarah G. Chanis
For interviews or media appearances, please contact Samantha Johnstone at (480) 921-5703 or [email protected]. High resolution images are available for download from Childsplay’s website at www.childsplayaz.org/press.
About Childsplay:
Childsplay, Inc. is a nonprofit theatre company of professional, adult artists who perform for and teach young audiences and their families. The mission of Childsplay is “to create theatre so strikingly original in form, content or both, that it instills in young people an enduring awe, love and respect for the medium, thus preserving imagination and wonder, the hallmarks of childhood which are keys to the future.” For more information, visit www.childsplayaz.org.
