Press Release
Chicago Children’s Theatre will take its acclaimed production A Snowy Day with Beatrix Potter to China this summer, presenting a popular quartet of Beatrix Potter trunk-and-puppet tales as part of the9th China Children’s Theatre Festival, July 6 to August 11. They will present four performances of A Snowy Day with Beatrix Potter at the Holiday Classic Theatre in Beijing July 20-21, then travel to the Shandong Grand Theatre in Jinan for two more shows on July 24.
Chicago’s largest professional theater company devoted exclusively to children and young families, and winner of the 2019 National TYA USA Artistic Innovation Award, Chicago Children’s Theatre joins acclaimed theater artists and companies from more than a dozen countries for the festival, including Romania, Denmark, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Italy.
“The China Children’s Theatre Festival website says, ‘let’s meet on a magnificent stage with arts, sincerity and responsibility, to lighten children’s hearts, let their dreams soar and strengthen our international friendship and cooperation,’” said Jacqueline Russell, Artistic Director, Chicago Children’s Theatre. “Those are ideals Chicago Children’s Theatre is wholly on board with, so we’re thrilled to represent Chicago and the U.S. in China this summer as international goodwill ambassadors.”
Now entering its fifth season, Chicago Children’s Theatre’s popular Beatrix Potter series knows no borders. Each year, CCT presents a collection of Beatrix Potter’s most entrancing tales, told by three nimble actor/storyteller/musicians who simultaneously operate ingenious mechanical “suitcase sculptures” custom-built for the production.
After story time, children and parents are invited on set to explore the puppet-filled trunks with the cast, and to pull levers and turn cranks that reveal the magical 3-D puppets that always surprise and delight.
Chicago Children’s Theatre’s Beatrix Potter series is devised by Will Bishop, Lara Carling, Kay Kron, Grace Needlman and Ray Rehberg. Director is Will Bishop. Designer is Grace Needlman. Music is written and performed by Ray Rehberg. Performers are Lara Carling and Kay Kron. Lighting designer is Becca Jeffords. Sound designer is David K. Samba.
Following the show’s summer tour of China, CCT will unpack its trunks and re-present The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party, December 7-29 at its home, Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, 100 S. Racine Ave. in Chicago’s West Loop.
Families can kick off their holidays by dressing up and enjoying a spot of hot cocoa with Jeremy Fischer, Simpkin the Cat and Peter Rabbit. After three delightful stories, set exploration and photos with the cast, everyone is whisked to the lobby-turned-dining hall, which is adorned with festive holiday decor and open tables and set with tasty cookies and cocoa.
For more information, visit: https://chicagochildrenstheatre.org/