A vibrant bilingual theater performance from Creede Repertory Theatre’s 40th Annual Young Audience Outreach Tour is set to captivate young hearts and curious minds at the historic Dickens Opera House on Sunday.
“The City Dog and the Prairie Dog,” aims to delight with a bilingual musical and invites children to embark on a unique journey filled with music, dance and interactive storytelling.
With the book and lyrics by Diana Grisanti and music by Emiliano Messiez, the story introduces Paloma, a young prairie dog living in a prairie town. Unhappy with the mundane life of the prairie, Paloma’s world is about to change when her city-dwelling cousin comes to visit. Seizing the opportunity to explore life in a metropolis of 22 million people, she embarks on a journey filled with uncertainty.
Jenni Harbour, the education director of Creede Repertory Theatre, is the driving force behind the group’s educational outreach programs. The theater’s regular season productions are complemented by an education department that aligns with its broader artistic mission.
Harbour explained that the Young Audience Outreach Tour, although an integral part of Creede Repertory Theatre, is distinctively produced by the education department. This educational initiative, primarily aimed at captivating young minds, traditionally begins at the start of the fall semester for schools.
“We send out two teams for 12 weeks each, to see tens of thousands of students with this production,” Harbour said. “It’s a big effort to ensure that young learners across a wide geographic span have access to the enriching experience of live theater.”
Creede Repertory Theatre’s educational endeavors have a reach that transcends state boundaries. Harbour pointed out that the program now extends to seven states, encompassing Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona.
“We have a flexible set that can be adjusted to fit the needs of the space. And we bring our own equipment as well,” Harbour said. “We want as many students as possible to see the production. So, we try to be as flexible and agile as we can be.”
The Young Audience Outreach Tour goes beyond mere entertainment and addresses important social and emotional themes. After each performance, the program solicits feedback from teachers and administrators to discern what would be most beneficial for their students. One recurring theme highlighted by educators is the importance of community, belonging and community-building.
“We were really focusing on finding your community, finding the place where you fit into the community, how you support the community, how communities can work together, exploring the feeling of belonging and how that might look different for everybody,” Harbour said.
The collaboration with playwright Diana Grisanti marks her third contribution to the tour. Grisanti’s exploration of the diverse communities they engage with inspired the creation of “The City Dog and the Prairie Dog,” which adds an entertaining and educational dimension to the concept of human and animal communities.
Additionally, the theater develops the accompanying book after finalizing the production script. This interconnected script and children’s book offer students a multi-dimensional learning experience. According to Harbour, young viewers can’t hide their engagement or disinterest, making it crucial for the performers to connect genuinely with the students.
“Young audiences are sometimes the most honest audience you’ll ever perform for. You have to think about how I can really tell this story honestly to these students, meet them where they are and include them in the production,” Harbour said. “I think that makes it a truly beautiful young audience experience.”
Harbour hopes that many families will come to the Dickens Opera House to share in the performance's joy, emphasizing that the real magic lies in experiencing it with loved ones.
