Imagination Stage Reveals Five Shows for 2024-2025 Season

 Imagination Stage has announced five shows for 2024-2025–the first led by new Chief Artistic Programming Officer Joanne Seelig Lamparter. First up in the Lerner Family Theatre is the beloved “bear of little brain,” Winnie the Pooh (September 14 - October 27), which is best for ages 3-8. Next up are two for the elementary-age crowd: A Cajun Red Riding Hood (December 14- February 8) and Dory Fantasmagory (June 20-August 3). For the youngest audiences, ages 1-4, two home-grown shows play in the intimate Reeve Studio Theatre: Paper Dreams (January 13 - February 11) and Mother Goose (March 2 - April 13). 

This season’s shows feature protagonists who are eminently relatable, flaws and all; each goes on a journey that is adventurous, entertaining, and that results in growth. Lamparter says “I can’t wait for families, school groups, and our many community partners to experience these relevant and beautifully produced shows.” They reflect Lamparter’s goal that “Imagination Stage’s performances and classes meet children where they are, center their needs, and allow them to voice what’s important in their world.” 

Imagination Stage’s soon-to-be-completed 2023-2024 'greatest hits' season continued the organization’s post-pandemic expansion, bringing in over 57,000 audience members. This number includes 27,000 students and teachers from all over the DMV coming to weekday field trips, in what may be a first trip to the theatre for many students. Around 4,500 third grade students from Title 1 schools come through the “Learning Through Theatre”  partnerships with Montgomery County Public Schools and DC Public Schools. Thanks to funding by government, foundation, and individual donors, the tickets to the performance, as well as robust wrap-around pre-show and post-show curriculum-based activities are free to students.   

The 2024-2025 season starts with Winnie the Pooh, which, like last seasons The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, offers a chance for three year-olds to be in the 390-seat Lerner Family Theatre for a taste of what the bigger kids get.The script is based on the source material, rather than the Disney film. Associate Artistic Director Kathryn Chase Bryer says it is “delightfully funny and sweet and focuses on friendship, community, and kindness–all things that we want for our young children.” Directing the production is the multi-talented Christopher Michael Richardson. Besides making his professional directing debut with this show, he will be doing the musical arrangements and orchestrations.

Next up is A Cajun Red Riding Hood, which is based on the book Petite Rouge by Mike Artell, illustrated by Jim Harris. Imagination Stage originally commissioned writer/composer/lyricist Joan Cushing and premiered the piece 20 years ago. Reviewing the original production, The Washington Post wrote: “With the exuberance of a Mardi Gras float wheeling through the Big Easy, Joan Cushing has turned Mike Artell’s picture book into a clever stage production whose tunes explode with Louisiana zest.” Directing the show is Nathaniel Claridad, who previously directed Mr. Popper’s Penguins at Imagination Stage.  Bryer enthuses that “the show has a  goofy, silly villain and incredible music and dance–there are lessons about going out into the big world, but they are delivered in a totally fun, lively, and creative way.” 

Summer 2025 brings the regional premiere of Dory Fantasmagory, which is based on the popular contemporary book series by Abby Hanlon. Bryer, who will direct the show, says that “Dory is the best new script we’ve read in a long time and embodies what IStage is all about–encouraging children to use their imagination to navigate life.” Quirky and surprising, this show will add sunshine to a summer day.

For over a decade, Imagination Stage has been a national leader in Theatre for the Very Young (TVY), and this season offers two multi-sensory, interactive favorites for children ages 1-4 in the intimate Reeve Studio Theatre. 

In January and February is Paper Dreams, which was developed with a dance company in Barcelona and is accessible to all ages and also to non-English language speakers. Bryer calls the show “extremely engaging for young children; it is a kinesthetic experience as well as a visual one.” 

In March and April is Mother Goose. This show is created by Bryer and former Founding Artistic Director Janet Stanford. Bryer, who will direct, says “these are stories that children will be taught in kindergarten, so it’s fun for us to introduce them to the poetry when they are even younger. The rhymes are told through puppetry and lots of beautiful visual imagery.”  Even the youngest children will connect with this timeless material. 

Discount ticket packages are now available for purchase. Packages, structured by age of children and by the number of shows the family wishes to see, are available on Imagination Stage’s website or by calling the box office at 301-280-1660. Single tickets go on sale on August 13 for Winnie the Pooh and A Cajun Red Riding Hood, and later for shows in 2025.  For additional info, contact Laurie Levy-Page.

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