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Premiere of Mother Goose runs
March 11 – April 10, 2022
BETHESDA, MD (February 15, 2022) Imagination Stage continues its 2021-2022 season with the World Premiere production of Mother Goose, running March 11 – April 10. Mother Goose is the latest new show created especially for children ages one to five by Imagination Stage’s Producing Artistic Director, Janet Stanford, and Associate Artistic Director, Kathryn Chase Bryer. Press is invited to the show beginning March 19 at 11:15 a.m. For tickets or to arrange interviews, contact Laurie Levy-Page.
Through innovative puppets, props, and original music, plus the talents of actor Toni Rae Salmi, eight classic Mother Goose rhymes come gently and tunefully to life. The story of Mother Goose herself provides a framework, as she tends to various animals during the day and sweeps cobwebs from the stars at night. The magical Mother Goose invites the children in the audience to join in with each rhyme’s story, teaching them that the very best way to do what needs to be done is to do it together. Among the rhymes the children will experience are “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “Old King Cole,” and “Humpty Dumpty.”
Mother Goose, best for ages 1-5, is devised by Kathryn Chase Bryer and Janet Stanford with Imagination Stage artists and directed by Bryer. It runs in Imagination Stage’s Christopher and Dana Reeve Studio Theatre from March 11 to April 10. Performances are Saturdays-Sundays at 10:00 and 11:15 and Tuesday-Friday at 10:30. Tickets are $12, with a $5 lap seat for children under 12 months. The run time for the show is 45 minutes. Tickets may be purchased online at www.imaginationstage.org, at Imagination Stage’s box office, or by calling 301-280-1660.
Over the past 12 years, Stanford and Bryer have written and produced several acclaimed pieces, including Wake Up, Brother Bear and Mouse on the Move. These shows have toured in the DMV and have been produced by theatres around the country, cementing Imagination Stage’s reputation as a leader in Theatre for the Very Young (TVY).
Stanford believes that “one of the reasons Mother Goose will work so well with very young children is that storytelling in our TVY shows is sensory friendly and experiential rather than primarily verbal and linear. It allows for young ones to check out and check back in without missing crucial information. It engages children because it is geared toward how they process and respond to information. ”
Bryer adds that she is excited to have children “hear the traditional poetry, but experience it in a new, interactive way. Janet and I have been talking about doing a show based on Mother Goose rhymes for 15 years. During that time, we have created other shows, seen TVY shows around the world, and also collaborated with international artists.”
In Stanford and Bryer’s creative process, the visual ideas inspire and inform the script. They are excited about working with Scenic Designer Giorgos Tsappas, who is Cypriot and brings a European theatrical sensibility. “Giorgos focuses on getting from one image to the next, rather than on each plot point,” says Stanford, “and his visuals are stunning.”
Also on the creative team are Composer/Music Director Debbie Jacobson, Sound Designer Gordon Nimmo-Smith, Costume Designer Alysha DeVries, Props/Puppet Designer Matthew Pauli, and Lighting Designer Johnathan Alexander.
The cast includes Toni Rae Salmi as Mother Goose and Ian Charles doing puppetry.
Following its run at Imagination Stage, Mother Goose will tour to Olney Theatre Center.
COVID-19 safety is paramount at Imagination Stage. All actors and all staff are fully vaccinated. Imagination Stage requires proof of vaccination for everyone aged 5+ entering the theatre. Everyone in our building age 2+ must wear a mask, and our updated HVAC system maximizes fresh, filtered outside air. These are among the measures in place to keep audience members safe and healthy.
ASL-interpreted performance is March 26 at 10:00.
Up next at Imagination Stage: Mr. Popper’s Penguins, June 22 – August 7.
