Creative Arts Theatre is the department's resident, professional theatre company for young audiences. Each year, they tour community centers, libraries, and schools performing over 200 shows for approximately 15,000 people.
The Imaginators
By Dwayne Hartford
The Imaginators is the story of three children and the power of imagination. Anne and Tim have just moved to a new town. Using moving boxes and other objects found in the garage, Anne, Tim, and their new neighbor, Nina, battle the child-eating monster, the Mooklecratz. The children discover their own strengths, the value of cooperation, and the unlimited power of their imaginations as they figure out how to defeat the beast. This play encourages children and adults alike never to lose their sense of play and creativity.
The Inventive Princess of Floralee
By Maggie Lou Rader
Follow the princess of Floralee on the adventure of a lifetime as she searches for the kidnapped king kept in the clutches of a viciously vile and wrathfully wicked witch! Along the way, help the princess solve a variety of math, engineering, science, and even dance challenges as she uses her brain, wit, and sound judgment to find her father. This original, two-person, interactive fairy tale will have children thinking like scientists as they laugh, dance, and think critically about topics rooted in STEAM.
The Case of the Missing Fables
An Original Play by Creative Arts Theatre
Meet Marlo Phillip, the world’s greatest detective! She's on a mission to find the Polka Dot Bandit and recover the morals he stole from the only copy of Aesop’s Fables! Along the way, she meets Charlie and Lily, librarians at the Athens Library where the morals went missing. Can the three of them follow the clues, use their listening skills, and discover the lesson each fable teaches before the morals are gone forever? Full of laughs, adventure, and lessons, children will experience favorite stories all while solving a hilarious mystery and learning about basic reading comprehension.
The Ugly Duckling
An original play inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story
Elmer doesn't look or behave like anyone else on the farm. Some of the other animals say that he is ugly. But is he really an ugly duck? Follow this gangly, scruffy, lonely fellow as he searches for his identity through a series of comical misadventures. Only after trying to be everything that he is not, does the gentle Elmer find the place he truly belongs and discovers the ultimate secret to happiness.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
By Ernie Nolan
A new galactic recruit, a missing star, and a bit of unexpected mayhem create the world of the Star Keepers. Every night, the Star Keepers must make sure each star is awake and ready to shine, but what happens when one goes missing? You follow the procedures, of course! This interactive play takes children on a journey that reminds all of us that mistakes happen, but no problem is too big if you ask for help.
Super Cat and Reptile Robot
by rachel bublitz
As they embark on the most wonderful/ awesome/ amazing sleepover in recorded history, nearly ten-year-old Cass (aka Super Cat) and ten-year-old Ray (aka Reptile Robot) grapple with who gets to call the shots and how to tell someone when something just isn‘t your thing. An interactive tale of boundaries and superheroes. With a magic remote. And s’mores.
Suzette Who Set to Sea
By Finegan Kruckemeyer
In a small seaside village where men build boats and women do not, young Suzette knows she is different - she longs for the sea and believes she is meant for something greater than a life on land. So when a miraculous event occurs, Suzette is forced to do the most difficult thing: prove herself worthy of her destiny. Loading her loved ones onto a boat she secretly built, Suzette, she sets to sea. What follows is an adventurous, imaginative tale exploring courage, community, and the possibility that sometimes it only takes the actions of a single person to change everything.
A Beauty and the beast story
An original play by Creative Arts Theatre
It’s audition day for the annual school play and this year’s show is Beauty and the Beast! Two students anxiously await their turn to prove that they are the perfect choice for the starring role. Will these two girls learn the value of working together instead of letting their differences get in the way? Audiences found out in this original participation play, inspired by the classic fairy tale.
Hare and tortoise
By Brendan Murray
Ready? Steady? Go! But who's the fastest; who's the best? Who will finally win the race? Audiences found out in this funny, tender, award-winning adaptation of the well-loved story as they journeyed through the seasons from bud-bursting spring to frosty, freezing winter in a production brimming with live music, movement, and color.
The Little Mermaid
By Mike Kenny
When a sea witch offers a beautiful mermaid princess the chance to make her dreams come true, it comes at a price. The Little Mermaid sacrifices key parts of herself - her tail and her voice - for legs, in the hope of winning the heart of the prince and gaining a soul. Filled with music, movement, and humor, two actors explored all of the roles in this unique retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale.
Cinderella: Secret Agent
An original play by Creative Arts Theatre
The fancy dress ball for all the kingdom is tonight! But wait! Someone is planning to steal the jewels during the big event! Even if she doesn’t think she’s the right girl for the job, Agent Cinderella is out to stop them! This Cinderella learns to be brave, try new things, and trust herself. Will she be able to stop the thief? A gadget giving fairy godmother, a message that self-destructs, and a secret plan to break into the castle are all a part of this hilarious, original spoof of the classic story by Creative Arts Theatre.
Stone Soup
An original play by Creative Arts Theatre
In the village of Cadence, all of the citizens move to the beat of the same drum, and everyone seems content just the way things are. One day, a stranger arrives asking for help and throws their daily dance into chaos! The outsider brings a new rhythm and way of thinking with her. Will the town accept her or throw her out? Will they help her to make an intriguing soup? Will they learn anything about what makes each one of them special? This classic folk tale gets fresh take in this original script by Creative Arts Theatre.
Red Riding Hood
By Mike Kenny with music and lyrics by Julian Butler
When siblings, Bridget and Stephen, can’t sleep they decide to act out their favorite story with all the different things they can find in the attic of their grandmother’s house. As the night goes on, the line between what is real and what is imagined begins to blur until Bridget and Stephen find themselves face to face with the big bad wolf in the dark woods! Join the intrepid twosome on a night to remember in Olivier Award-winning writer Mike Kenny's brand new musical adaptation of the classic children's tale.