A SERIOUS FUN CHILDREN'S SERIES EVENT
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
and Other Eric Carle Favourites

Tuesday, October 17, 2006
10 am and Noon

The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favourites (which includes Little Cloud and The Mixed-Up Chameleon) are brought to life on The Grand's stage! Closely following the books from which they are adapted, these plays are performed with glow-in-the-dark puppet mastery by the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia.

Masked, wearing head-to-toe black, and performing in front of a fall of black drapes, puppeteers masterfully perform their unobtrusive artistry. The rod puppets and set pieces seem to leap and float and fly in jewel-toned, fluorescent luminousness against the inky black as the friendly characters bring these classic stories to life. Narrated with a storyteller's rhythm, and complemented with a playful and tender score, each story is a quiet delight, true to Carle's vivid paper-collage art and his gentle-spirited nature tales.

The caterpillar, who starts as a blue egg on a green leaf, is an immediate hit. When he "hatches" from his egg and begins to munch his way through an apple, two pears, three plums, four strawberries, etc., the audience doesn't need prompting to fill in the refrain that comes after each meal: "But he was still hungry".

Large-scale puppets in vibrant shades, an evocative musical score, and the magic of "black light" provide a whimsical introduction to the world of theatre, as well as stimulate the joy of reading. Eric Carle himself has called Mermaid's production "stunningly beautiful." Bring the whole family to this colorful and enchanting production at the Grand.