Village Theatre Presents Carle's 'The Hungry Caterpillar'

Village Theatre Pied Piper Presents a colorful proudction of The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favorites by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia. Production design & direction is by Jim Morrow, music by Steven Naylor, narration by Gordon Pinsent. Recommended for grades PreK –3 and their families

The show will take place at the Everett Performing Arts Center (2710 Wetmore Avenue, Everett, WA 98201) on October 19, 2008, 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. For more information including ticket purchase please visit www.villagetheatre.org

 This mesmerizing production features larger-than-life puppets, hyper-imaginative design elements, and unique lighting effects, all set to an original musical score. Eric Carle is a renowned children's author and artist, and the characters of his vivid world transform in this memorable production. The engaging stories of The Mixed-Up Chameleon, the whimsical Little Cloud, and the naturally beautiful The Very Hungry Caterpillar are uniquely told by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, one of North America's premier puppetry touring companies.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar follows the wonderful adventures of a very tiny and very hungry caterpillar that progresses through an amazing variety of foods towards his eventual metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. Children will delight in the antics of Little Cloud. High up in a beautiful sky, Little Cloud slips away from the rest and transforms itself into various shapes of things it sees-a sheep, and airplane, a shark, and more. In The Mixed-Up Chameleon, a little chameleon is bored with its life-sitting about predictably changing color all day. So it decides to embark on an adventurous trip to the zoo. Upon seeing the beautiful animals there, the little chameleon tries changing to look like each one of them.

In addition to the public performance, school matinee performances of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favorites  will also take place at Everett Performing Arts Center (October 16 & 17, 2008, 10:00AM and Noon) and McIntyre Hall (October 20, 2008, 10:00 AM and Noon). School performances may be arranged by calling Village Theatre's Youth Education office at (425) 257-6343.

Families who are interested in getting a taste for this show before October 19, 2008, can attend the "Page to Stage Storytimes," led by Pied Piper Manager Erica Weir. These engaging and interactive 15-minute readings expand upon the themes and books associated with this particular Pied Piper performance, and for this show will take place at Imagine Children's Museum on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 between 11:00 AM-1:00 PM. Weir will read three times during that time block; each reading will be followed by a related activity in the Imagine Art Studio.

The production is adapted, directed, and designed by Jim Morrow, with music by Steven Naylor, and narrated by Gordon Pinsent. This 60-minute musical is recommended for audiences in grades PreK-3 and their families. For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michelle Sanders at (425) 392-1942 x124 or at msanders@villagetheatre.org.

 Eric Carle, internationally acclaimed author and designer, has written and illustrated more than seventy books for young children. Born in Syracuse, New York, he spent his youth in Germany where he studied fine art in Stuttgart prior to returning to the United States in 1952 to work as a graphic designer for The New York Times and later as art director of an international advertising agency. His delightful books, which combine stunning collage artwork with an imaginative approach to learning, have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. Eric Carle lives in Northhampton, Massachusetts.

Steven has created the music for more than a dozen Mermaid shows, including Stuart Little, Just So Stories, Gulliver's Travels, Very Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favorites, Guess How Much I Love You, and I Love My Little Storybook. His many other professional activities include original film and television scores; contemporary music and 'musique actuelle' performance; university teaching and curriculum development; and a long-term international involvement with electroacoustic concert music. Steven is Mermaid Theatre's Artistic Consultant for Music and Sound Design.

Born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, Gordon is an actor, director, writer, and singer of great versatility, and one of Canada's most beloved artists. His work for more than three decades in theatre, film, radio and television has earned him international recognition, as well as honorary doctorates from three universities. In 1999 he was named a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest award of merit.

The unique adaptations of children's literature have delighted more than three million young people on four continents. The company ranks among North America's most respected theatres for the young, and has won widespread recognition for its important ambassadorial role. Mermaid regularly crosses North America, and has represented Canada in Japan, Mexico, Australia, England, Northern Ireland, Holland, Scotland, Wales, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. Mermaid has earned Export Excellence Awards from both Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada in recognition for contributions to the Province's culture and economy, and has merited an award for Best Performing Group from the Canadian Arts Presenting Association.

The Pied Piper program is dedicated to enriching the cultural lives of young people and supporting the classroom objectives of educators by bringing first-class educational performances to students, teachers, and families in the Puget Sound area. A Programming Advisory Committee, made up of teachers, principals, administrators, and parents advise on the selection of productions and presentations for each season's series, with the final selections being made by Village Theatre's educational and artistic staff.

 Based in Issaquah, WA, with operations in Everett, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Producing entertaining quality productions for the entire family since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region's best-attended Equity theatres, with over 18,000 subscribers and 170,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having launched over 80 new works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow's audiences through its youth education programs, Pied Piper and KIDSTAGE, serving over 54,000 young people, families, and schools annually.

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