Carl L. Williams, Susan Marie Rhea, Noah Mutterperl, and Ariel Friendly. Photo by Cameron Whitman.
In my time as a theatre critic, performer, and director in both professional and non-professional roles, one misconception I encounter more than many others is that theatre for young audiences is less serious, less ambitious, and just straight-up easier to create than shows for adults. This is entirely wrong.
…exceptional children’s theatre…a typical delight from the always solid team at Adventure Theatre MTC, sure to captivate the newest theatregoers.
Crafting a production that can capture the attention of young people, and hold that attention while not condescending and treating them respectfully is a great challenge. That is even more the case when considering the differences in taste, humor, and comprehension between a three-year-old and a 10-year-old.
Our region is blessed with several professional companies that get it, and that consistently produce exceptional children’s theatre that spans the scope of childhood. Not least among them is Glen Echo’s Adventure Theatre MTC, primarily geared to the kindergarten through grade school set.
ATMTC’s current show is Mike Kenny’s “Aesop’s Fables,” a quick-paced romp for the fours and fives that clocks in at an age-appropriate 40 minutes. Set against a proscenium-mimicking back wall adorned with gentle paintings of scenes from the ancient stories (designed by Megan Holden and realized by Holden, Daniel Brody, Kara Neal, and Tyler Whitmore), four actors take on the role of storytellers to take the audience through some of Aesop’s greatest hits with charm and verve.
For this is essentially a storytelling session, with some audience interaction and little narrative through-line. The cast appear as minstrels in costumes by Paris Francesca that evoke a medieval fairy-tale world. They introduce themselves as a company of players—troupe leader Wolfie (Susan Marie Rhea), serious but kindly Syd (Carl L. Williams), bubbly Harriet (the appropriately surnamed Ariel Friendly), and childlike newcomer, Barry (Noah Mutterperl).
Director Ray Ficca moves them through their paces at an expert rate, shifting from famous fable to famous fable (“The Lion and the Mouse,” “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” and, of course, “The Tortoise and the Hare” among them) at just the right clip to hold attention. Even when telling the harsher of Aesop’s moralizing stories—one character points out that the tales all seem to have sad endings—the mood is kept light and upbeat.
“Aesop’s Fables” is a typical delight from the always solid team at Adventure Theatre MTC, sure to captivate the newest theatregoers.
Running Time: Forty minutes with no intermission.
“Aesop’s Fables” runs through May 24, 2026 at Adventure Theatre MTC at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo. For more information and to purchase tickets, please go online.
