ALONG COMES MARY

The 24th Street Theatre has mastered the craft of entertaining young & old alike, whether you speak English or Spanish, are 5 years old or 85 years old…as long as you’re looking to have a giggle, learn, & maybe even get a tamale.

Oh yeah, & they are teaching children about life & death, too.

You might recall my posts when I first began featuring them, about their ground breaking, intimate play, Walking the Tightrope, which premiered in March & tells the story of a little girl & her Grandpa dealing with the passing of her Grandma. Its gone on to win countless awards & earn the most nods for this years LA Ovation Awards.

Their show last week was no exception. Hailing from Mexico, The Proyecto Perla Company brought to 24th ST, Pato, Muerte y Tulipán (“Duck,  Death and Tulip”). A 45 minute act filled with puppetry, paper, words & leaves that follows Duck & the adventures he sets out on with his new friend, Death. Together, these characters learn about what it means to have fun & truly be alive. While this plot may sound somber, I think the jam-packed house of youngsters (& parents, too) were proof that it actually was anything but. While some tough life topics are indeed covered, there were many laughs & smiling faces.

I was so impressed by how much fun everyone appeared to be having, the kids were well-behaved & so interactive with Executive Director, Jay McAdams, when he gave his intro speech. Many raised their hands when asked if this was their first time at the theatre.

This weekend, 24th will proudly introduce us to another company visiting from south of the border, Compañía Hecho a Mano will show us their Lágrimas de Agua Dulce (“Tears of Sweet Water”) which will introduce us to Sofia, a little girl living in a town plagued by drought & is forced to cry as her tears provide…sweet water, for the people.

I also am looking forward to November 2nd, when the theatre will hold their Dia de los Muertos event. Theres always something going on, like their premiere of Hansel & Gretel with a bluegrass twist next year, so check out their web-site here & if you don’t believe me, just ask blockbuster star, Jack Black, who is a long time supporter of 24th’s work & had this to say recently: “I saw Walking the Tightrope with my wife, children & parents. Three generations of my family experienced this show together & we were all blown away.”

Not bad, eh? 🙂 (And, don’t forget the tamales in the lobby!) xo

(*Disclosure: I work often with The 24th St Theatre on reviews & photography on behalf of this blog. Special thanks to them for these great opportunities to see their work!)