Find out at this ‘Wonderful Show’
The Children’s Theater Company is known for bringing stories to the stage that exemplify their core values: imagination, excellence, respect and inclusion. This month, CTC welcomes a play that does just that, using the magic of puppetry and cinematography to bring a classic tale to life.
“Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster” tells the story of a monster named Leonardo who cannot scare anyone no matter how hard he tries. This causes Leonardo to be teased by his fellow monsters, motivating him to go on a quest to find the world’s most “scaredy-cat” kid.
Members of the audience will question in anticipation whether Leonardo finds someone to scare, or if he finds something even better that he wasn’t expecting. The performance, created by Manuel Cinema, is inspired by the books “Leonardo, the Terrible Monster” and “Sam, the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World” by Mo Willems.
“Leonardo is about empathy and seeing the people around you and what they need,” says Manuel Cinema’s Co-Artistic Director Sarah Fornance. “It is also about not being or doing what society at large expects. I am a huge Mo Willems fan, so when he asked if we could adapt these two books I was beyond thrilled.”
Manuel Cinema is an Emmy Award-winning film and video production company, design studio, and performance collective based in Chicago known for giving audiences an inside look into how its shows come together.
“We show the making of the show as it happens,” says Fornance. “There is a big screen onstage and live cameras. We move around paper puppets in a binder to make what looks like an animated movie, like the pictures in the book are coming to life.”
Leah Casey plays several of the characters in the show, including Kerry, who Casey describes as a big “scaredy cat” striving to push past her fear and take risks — something Casey can relate to.
“I enjoy playing her because she manages to overcome her fear of just about everything to make a new friend. It’s kind of relatable, as I have a difficult time meeting new people, too. Introvert to the max.”
Casey is a Chicago-based actress, artist and dancer. She shares Fornance’s enthusiasm for Williems’ storytelling and ability to encourage children to tap into their emotions.
“When on stage, we have to portray big emotions in big ways for the audience to see,” Casey said. “He writes characters that are already trying to convey big emotions; they translate well to the stage.”
The CTC intentionally welcomes plays such as “Leonardo!” that encourage children to show empathy, celebrate differences, and recognize the commonalities that bring us together. “At CTC we believe that theatre is an amazing tool that helps us realize our common bonds and illuminate our connections,” says Michael Winn, CTC’s associate artistic director & director of equity and community partnerships.
Winn oversees the development of new plays and chooses what audiences see on stage each season. He also leads and develops the theater’s “ACT One Vision,” which ensures that the company upholds its values of creating an inclusive and diverse environment.
“I promote and foster CTC’s commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging,” Winn says. “Theatre has been guilty of racism, classism and bias. Our ‘ACT One Vision’ is to not only recognize these injustices but to work to change them on an institutional level.”
Audience members can expect to go on an emotional rollercoaster ride and leave inspired to tell their own stories through film and puppetry. “We hope that this inspires them to grab paper and markers and sticks and run around making their own puppet shows and their own movies,” Fornance says.
“The show is funny, joyous, sad and scary. The live music and songs are all total jams. We hope that people of all ages go on an emotional journey, laugh, have fun, and leave humming the tunes from the show.”
“Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster” runs through March 9. For more information, visit childrenstheatre.org.
An hour before all Thursday 7 p.m. and Sunday 5 p.m. performances, audiences can join in on pre-show activities led by CTC teaching artists. Following all Friday 7 p.m. performances, audiences can stay after to meet some performers and have their program autographed.
Margaret Sullivan welcomes reader responses at msullivan@spokesman-recorder.com.