Photos: First Look at THE CARP WHO WOULD NOT QUIT AND OTHER ANIMAL STORIES at Children's Theatre Company

Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) has released production photos for The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories by Reiko Ho and the Honolulu Theatre for Youth Ensemble. Directed by Ms. Ho, The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories will run from January 16-February 18, 2024 at CTC’s Cargill Stage (2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404). Opening Night is Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.

Check out the photos below!

See a heroic carp climb up a waterfall (and so much more) in The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories, an energetic and interactive retelling of traditional fables from Japan and Okinawa. Through artful puppetry and three imaginative actors, you’ll also meet a grateful crane, a wonderfully generous mouse, and an industrious rabbit who teaches everyone to do the mochi dance! During this invigorating show from Hawaii, live music played on the koto, shakuhachi, and taiko drum will accompany young audiences as they dance, clap, and sing along. 

“We are thrilled to welcome The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories to our stage,” says CTC Artistic Director Peter C. Brosius. “This production created by the Honolulu Theatre for Youth bring to vibrant life  dynamic, comic and tender stories from Japan and Okinawa. You will be transported by the music, puppetry and wonderful audience interaction. You will learn words and phrases in Japanese and sing along with the talented cast. Get ready to go on magical journeys, laugh along with the characters and amazing animals and thrill to the warmth and creativity of the cast. I can’t wait to share these tales with you all.”

“This show was a joy to create, and we are thrilled to be sharing it with audiences at CTC,” says  Playwright/Director Reiko Ho. “Celebrating our cultural stories is one of the most important things I do as a theatre maker. I’m delighted to adapt a few of my own favorite childhood stories for the stage and introduce some of the beautiful performance traditions and aesthetics of Japanese and Okinawan culture to a new generation of young people and families.”

The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories will play from January 16-February 18, 2024 at CTC’s Cargill Stage (2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404). Opening Night is Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 7:00pm. Tickets may be purchased online at childrenstheatre.org/carp or by calling the Ticket Office at 612.874.0400. Ticket prices start at $15 for kids and $25 for adults.  

The performers for The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories includes Serina Dunham, Mattea Mazzella, and Hermenigildo Tesoro, Jr. 

In addition to Reiko Ho and The HTY Ensemble, the creative team for The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories includes Mattea Mazzella (Original Music), Iris Kim (Set and Costume Design), Chesley Cannon (Lighting Design), Eric West (Puppet and Prop Design/Technical Director), and Sarah Danvers and Hermenigildo Tesoro Jr. (Additional Props).

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