CHILDREN'S READING SERIES
The acclaimed Children’s Reading Series is a beloved BCT program that presents the best of contemporary children’s theater in a creative environment that is accessible to audience members of all ages. Drawing on one of the oldest traditions in theater— “hearing a play” —audience members will experience professional actors bringing engaging stories to life. PLUS free pizza, and cookies!
The 23|24 Season Children’s Reading Series titles will be announced as we get closer to each production.
FREE Cookies at every reading.
FREE Pizza at every reading, sponsored by PIE HOLE.
Sponsors
24|25 Readings:
Next Reading:
Monster + Farmer
by JM Christiansen
Directed by Jennifer Stockwell-Fortner
Step into the world of Riley, a teenage science whiz on a Montana ranch near the stunning Mission Mountains. Inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Riley embarks on a wild adventure to create her very own DIY creature – all while documenting the chaos on her YouTube channel! But when her creation spirals out of control, it’s up to Riley and her brother Aidan to save the ranch (and the cows!) as the world watches through their smartphones. MONSTER + FARMER is about creation and connection in an increasingly digital world.
Only $15 ($10 Children 13 and under)
Cast
Elke Myers – Riley
Holden Blair – Aiden
Thomas Paul – Music
JM Christiansen is a playwright and director out of Missoula, Montana. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Montana. He received his MFA in theatre from the University of Montana. He has a B.A. in theatre and writing from Northwestern College, where he graduated summa cum laude. His plays have been produced at regional theaters, festivals, and competitions across the Midwest. He is also co-host of the dramatic literature podcast “No Script.” (https://noscriptpodcast.podbean.com/)
From the Playwright
“…fun and fast paced, but the show also slows down and gives Riley and Aidan some real challenges to face together.”
“Monster + Farmer is about a teenager who loves to learn, and who uses her unique gifts to create, to invent, and to teach. Though Riley’s inventions are fictitious, the spirit of curiosity that drives her is very real. It drives all of us who love to learn.”
“I hope Monster + Farmer is a delightful reflection on the joy of learning and curiosity. May we all be Riley, constantly exploring the world around us, and adding to it whatever gifts we have.”
How long is each reading?
Not more than 90 minutes, usually with an intermission, and always with cookies and milk!
What are the recommended ages?
The readings are appropriate for children ages 5-18.
Do I need to attend with my child?
Yes, all children 17 years or younger must be accompanied by an adult.
Seating is General Admission
- Adult Ticket $15.00
- Child Ticket (13 and under) $10.00
- Adult Children’s Reading Series Pass: $40 | $25 Child Pass (13 and under)
Previous Readings:
Miss Electricity by Kathryn Walat
- Sunday, Apr 28, 2024 | 2:00 PM
Comedy for young audiences
~40-50 minutes
Ten-year-old Violet is determined to show the world, not to mention the cool kids at school, just how special she is. With the help of her assistant, Freddy, she sets out to break a world record but becomes accidentally extraordinary when she’s struck by lightning — twice — and gains control over all things electric. Under the name Miss Electricity, Violet zaps her way through circuits, bullies, and tests but could lose everything when the power goes to her head.
Cast:
Kelly Anne Gasparini
Zoë Kelly
Bennett Huhn
Jake Atkinson
Director:
Jen Stockwell-Fortner
Goloshes of Fortune adapted by Elizabeth Wong
- Sunday, Feb 11, 2024 | 2:00 PM
Comedy for young audiences
~35-40 minutes
A tale of mysterious magical rain boots that will grant the wearer’s greatest wish. Two meddlesome fairies wonder whether human beings can really know what brings happiness, so they slip the magical goloshes onto the feet of four unsuspecting children who think they know what they want. Based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
Cast and Production Team:
Taylor Hawker
John Wicks
Amela Karadza
David Cowan
Thomas Paul – Music
Jen Stockwell-Fortner – Director
Cast & Production Team
- Sunday, Oct 22, 2023 | 2:00 PM
- The Ghost of Splinter Cove by Steven Dietz
- Approx. Run Time 60 min
- An adventure story prompted by the imaginations of three young people left to play in their basement on a rainy day. Siblings Cora and Nate and their friend, Sydney, have a lot of questions about what their parents are doing upstairs. When their adventure game becomes more real than they imagined, they unearth a history of their family that they could never have known. The Ghost of Splinter Cove is a fun, lively and moving play for the courageous young person inside all of us.
- The Ghost of Splinter Cove by Steven Dietz
PRODUCED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS
- Sunday, March 12, 2023 | 2PM
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
Adapted by Joseph McDonough, based on the story by Mark Twain
This rambunctious adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic short story tells the tale of schemer and braggart Jim Smiley, who decides to make his fortune by entering his frog in the first annual Calaveras County Frog Jumping Contest. Smiley has certainly had his share of good luck, but the people of Calaveras County are getting a bit tired of being duped by Jim, and they may just have a scheme of their own…
RUNS ~30-45 minutes
Directed by Jennifer Stockwell-Fortner
- Austin Von Johnson – Actor 1 (Mark Twain, Horse, Gold Miner)
- Taylor Hawker – Actor 2 (Jim Smiley)
- Tacet Matthew Bunk – Actor 3 (farmer, dog, frog)
- Elke Myers – Actor 4 (Horse, School Teacher, Frog)
- Music by Thomas Paul
UPCOMING SHOWS & EVENTS
Ken Ludwig's
Dear Jack, Dear Louise
U.S. Army Captain Jack Ludwig, a military doctor stationed in Oregon, begins writing to Louise Rabiner, an aspiring actress and dancer in New York City, hoping to meet her someday if the war will allow. But as the war continues, it threatens to end their relationship before it even starts. Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig (Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Lend Me a Tenor) tells the joyous, heartwarming story of his parents’ courtship during World War II and the results are anything but expected.
Only $15 ($10 Students)
Directed by and starring Tess Makena and Chris Carwithen
Cast
Tess Makena and Chris Carwithen
Ken Ludwig has had six productions on Broadway and eight in London’s West End. His 34 plays and musicals are staged around the world and throughout the United States every night of the year.
His first play, Lend Me a Tenor, was produced on Broadway and in London by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. Crazy For You was on Broadway for five years, on the West End for three, and won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. It has been revived twice in the West End and is currently touring Japan. Since its European premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022, Ludwig’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express has had hundreds of international productions.
He has been commissioned to write plays by Agatha Christie Limited, the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Old Globe Theatre, and the Bristol Old Vic.
For more information, see his website at www.kenludwig.com.
“Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
www.concordtheatricals.com
Reviews
“Strikes the touchstones of the online dating age with uncanny precision.” –The Washington Post
“Ludwig’s play, though about a particular moment in his personal history as well as our collective history, also resonates today. Dear Jack, Dear Louise is a moving, funny, and heartbreaking reminder of what we should strive to become, individually and as a country.” –BroadwayWorld
“Moving and cinematic… The play, based on the correspondence of Ludwig’s parents-to-be, crackles with humor and real feeling.” –DC Theatre Scene
Ken Ludwig's
Dear Jack, Dear Louise
U.S. Army Captain Jack Ludwig, a military doctor stationed in Oregon, begins writing to Louise Rabiner, an aspiring actress and dancer in New York City, hoping to meet her someday if the war will allow. But as the war continues, it threatens to end their relationship before it even starts. Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig (Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Lend Me a Tenor) tells the joyous, heartwarming story of his parents’ courtship during World War II and the results are anything but expected.
Only $15 ($10 Students)
Directed by and starring Tess Makena and Chris Carwithen
Cast
Tess Makena and Chris Carwithen
Ken Ludwig has had six productions on Broadway and eight in London’s West End. His 34 plays and musicals are staged around the world and throughout the United States every night of the year.
His first play, Lend Me a Tenor, was produced on Broadway and in London by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. Crazy For You was on Broadway for five years, on the West End for three, and won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. It has been revived twice in the West End and is currently touring Japan. Since its European premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022, Ludwig’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express has had hundreds of international productions.
He has been commissioned to write plays by Agatha Christie Limited, the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Old Globe Theatre, and the Bristol Old Vic.
For more information, see his website at www.kenludwig.com.
“Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
www.concordtheatricals.com
Reviews
“Strikes the touchstones of the online dating age with uncanny precision.” –The Washington Post
“Ludwig’s play, though about a particular moment in his personal history as well as our collective history, also resonates today. Dear Jack, Dear Louise is a moving, funny, and heartbreaking reminder of what we should strive to become, individually and as a country.” –BroadwayWorld
“Moving and cinematic… The play, based on the correspondence of Ludwig’s parents-to-be, crackles with humor and real feeling.” –DC Theatre Scene