This past Saturday, September 19th, I had the pleasure of taking my family to see a musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s tale “The Selfish Giant” at the Players Theatre on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village. It was put on by the Literally Alive Children’s Theatre and was written and directed by Brenda Bell. I am never sure what to expect with children’s theater and have seen some weird ones to say the least. So I was pleasantly surprised, when the playwright and actors all came to sit at the edge of the stage and talk to the kids about what goes into a theater production. They really broke it down to their level, asking questions, explaining why they made certain choices about movement, lights and music. Then all of the kids were invited on stage for a craft project. They made flowerpots and planted flower seeds inside. The energy of the kids was great and so were their big smiles.
The play started with a great musical number called “Wilde Imagination.” My kids were on the edge of their seat the whole time. The characters are engaging, especially Hailey and Hector, played by Stefanie Smith and Dustin Cross. They portray hail, tap dancing and joking around the stage. My kids were laughing hysterically the whole time. The story has a great message about not allowing our fears to build walls around us that make us miserable. It also reminds us to hold on to the inner child inside of us all. The company does a wonderful job bringing the stage to life and making some innovative choices that had my kids full of wonder.
“The Selfish Giant” was a big hit with my family, and we will be looking forward to seeing more shows that Literally Alive Children’s Theatre puts on in the future.
-By Mom in the City Reviewer, Lesley Thompson
The Selfish Giant runs from September 13-October 25, 2009 on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets range in price from $25 to $40. (There is a FREE WORKSHOP one hour prior to each show.)
