HOW TO GO
What: Madcap Puppets: Aladdin & Friends
When: Monday, July 6, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Running time 45 minutes, plus a Q & A.
Where: Fairfield Community Arts Center, 411 Wessel Dr., Fairfield
Admission: Tickets are $5. All ages show. Call the FCAC Box Office at (513) 867-5348 or visit www.fairfield-city.org/cac. Visit www.madcappuppets.com to find out more.
FAIRFIELD — Madcap Puppets will make a stop at the Fairfield Community Arts Center with two performances of the all-ages touring production of Aladdin & Friends Monday, July 6.
“Madcap Puppets is consistently excellent in the kind of shows that they produce, and the shows always sell out,” said Heidi Schiller, arts and programs manager, Fairfield Parks and Recreation Department.
This is the fifth summer that Fairfield Community Arts Center has hosted a Madcap production. Typically, the shows are geared toward children ages 5 to 12. However, many families attend the performances together.
Shows will be held at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. July 6.
“Children today don’t get the opportunity to see puppet work, so this is another form of live theater that they may not ordinarily be exposed to. It is certainly an art form that needs to be experienced live, as opposed to watching a video or television, because of the nature of the art itself,” Schiller said.
The production tells the story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (Middle-Eastern folktale), and it also tells the tale of The Girl and the North Wind (Norwegian folktale.)
Several hundred theatergoers are expected to turnout with a mixed audience of children and their parents as well as summer camp participants.
“This production is part of our EnterAct Family Series, so this is one of the programs we offer for children and families. Part of our mission is to offer this kind of arts programming. The theater is not only for adults, we want to make sure that our younger patrons are exposed to live theater. It’s very important for children to experience live theater at a young age, both from a creative perspective, and to groom them to become the audiences of tomorrow,” said Schiller.
Sean Mette, bookings and communications manager for Madcap Puppets, said the production tells a powerful story with larger-than-life puppets.
“Two kids, Harry and Max, are playing around in a giant coat closet. They have a friend named Tweedle, who is a puppet. While they are playing around in the coat closet, Tweedle has stolen Harry’s prized pickle and Harry is trying to get it back. In the process, they tell two genie-related stories,” Mette said.
This is the first time the show has been available to tour in the summer, he said, it also has a new set, and Tweedle is a brand new puppet.
“We are based in Cincinnati, but we perform shows all over the country. I know the Fairfield Community Arts Center is one of those favorite locations for me. This is the location where I go see the shows. I make it a point each summer to see our shows in Fairfield. Their beautiful facility and our puppet shows create a wonderful experience for everyone,” Mette said.
Madcap Puppets creates the puppets, designs the set and casts the actors for each show out of their Westwood studio, as they have for the past 34 years. Aladdin & Friends, a popular show this summer, will travel to more than 50 venues.
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