Oregon Children's Theatre presents THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW

Eric Carle's iconic creatures crawl from page to stage with the help of a marvelous menagerie of 75 magical puppets. Colorful and kinetic, this adaptation captures all the charm of Carle's original tales and illustrations, while conveying simple messages about the value of creativity, belonging, and growth.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show is an adaptation of four classic stories from award-winning author, Eric Carle, including The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, The Very Lonely Firefly, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It debuted in Australia in 2015 and has performed all over the world since then, from the UK to Dubai.

Along the way, the show has garnered rave reviews. The New York Times called it "Bedazzling" and Time Out said that it was "Beautiful, rhythmic, and faithful to the author's works." Co-Director Marcella Crowson is looking forward to the creative challenge of bringing such iconic characters to life on stage. "It's the best kind of creative challenge, to take characters that have only existed for people on the pages of a book, and turn them into walking, talking, dancing,

larger-than-life beings-which we'll accomplish with the help of 75 fantastical puppets."

On May 5th at 11am, Oregon Children's Theatre will have its first ever sensory-friendly performance with The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. During this special performance, the house lights will stay up, there will be extra space between seats, and an open space in the third tier will be available for patrons who would prefer walk around during the performance.

Because of the gentle nature of the show, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show was a natural opportunity to pilot a sensory-friendly performance. "This production embraces the rhythm of the books and adds to it a beautiful musical score that invites every audience to come along for the ride at their own pace," said Crowson. "There are lots of ways 'in' to the play: words, music, sounds, light, pictures, movement; but without those elements coming at the audience fast and furiously. There's breathing room, perhaps, that will give each audience member the space to experience it in the way that's most comfortable for them."

The cast features Robert Amico, Robi Arce, Allie Menzimer, and Summer Olsson.

The creative team includes: Marcella Crowson and Tony Fuemmeler (Co-Directors), Morgan Yeates (Adapted Scenic Designer), Don Crossley and James Mapes (Lighting Designers), and Nate Edmondson (Composer). Puppet design by Puppet Kitchen. Created by Jonathan Rockefeller.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCE EVENTS

Before Every Performance: Come a little early for a pre-show activity!

Following Every Performance: Meet the cast, take photos, and get your playbill autographed!

Sunday, April 1st and May 13th: Grandparent Day. Join us for special senior (age 62+)

ticket prices on the first and last Sunday of each show. Tickets are 25% off.

Saturday, April 7th, 2:00 pm: Interpreted performance in American Sign Language.

Saturday, May 5th, 11am: Sensory-friendly performance for those with sensory processing issues.

Saturday, April 21st, all shows: Scout Day. Tickets for Girl and Boy Scouts are discounted

25%. Fun patches are available for sale for $2 each (order in advance).

About Oregon Children's Theatre

Founded in 1988, Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) has served well over two million children,

teachers, and families. Its mission is to create exceptional theater experiences that transform lives. OCT is Oregon's largest nonprofit professional performing arts company for young

audiences and a resident company of Portland'5 Centers for the Arts. Performances are held weekdays for school audiences and on weekends for family audiences. OCT serves more than 120,000 children of all ages each year. OCT offers numerous school services including study guides, teacher professional development opportunities, in-school workshops, and an extensive outreach program. In partnership with Kaiser Permanente, the Educational Theatre Program provides free touring productions that promote healthy living. OCT's year round Acting Academy offers theater classes for children ages 3-18 and Young Professionals Company, a mentoring program for teens.

Funding for Oregon Children's Theatre's 2017-2018 season is provided in part by the Shubert Foundation, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and Work for Art. Oregon Children's Theatre receives support from the Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the State of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, Rockefeller Productions. Based on the books by Eric Carle.

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