The curtain’s up, the lights are dimmed and a fun-filled day of performances are ready to take center stage as Family Theater Day presented by University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital returns to Playhouse Square on Saturday, May 6. Whether families are introducing theater to their children for the first time or returning to Playhouse Square to create new memories, there are a variety of performances for all ages to enjoy – from traditional and contemporary African dance with the company of Step Afrika! to adventures with Junie B. Jones and musical fun with the puppets of Hiccup.
In addition to the ticketed theater performances, which are generously supported by Kathy & Jim Pender and The Michael Pender Fund, Playhouse Square offers crafts and other experiences free of charge, including appearances by Dino-ROAR and Djapo Cultural Arts Institute.
Tickets for Family Theater Day performances can be purchased online for $15 at playhousesquare.org/familytheaterday or by phone at 216-241-6000. Free activities do not require a ticket.
2023 Family Theater Day Performances
Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School
Produced by TheaterWorksUSA
Performance times: 11 a.m. & 2 p.m., Mimi Ohio Theatre
Now that Junie B. Jones has been going to school for over one-and-a-half years, who better to write the book on EVERYTHING you need to know? From bus rules and Band-Aids to carpools to cookies, Junie B. and friends deliver the definitive word on surviving and thriving in style. With a jillion tips, tricks, and trip-ups, Junie B. shares her hard-won expertise and shows us all how school is sometimes scary, sometimes super-fun, and ALWAYS something to sing about!
Hiccup
Produced by Windmill Theatre Co.
Performance times: 11 a.m. & 2 p.m., Westfield Studio Theatre
It’s a perfect, balmy night in the outback. A sleep-deprived camper, a cheeky quokka and an emu with a penchant for creating wild inventions, awake to discover that a koala has come down with a stubborn and ear-shatteringly loud case of the hiccups. The three embark on an epic journey through the night that sees them frantically eat, sing and invent their way towards a cure before the sun comes up.
Hiccup is a hilarious rocking musical extravaganza about working together, finding friendship and how to, once and for all, stop the hiccups.
Step Afrika!
Performance times: 12:30 p.m. & 3:30 p.m., KeyBank State Theatre
The Company’s self-titled work introduces audiences to the tradition of stepping through both a traditional and contemporary lens. Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities; traditional African dances; and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.
A sign language interpreter will be at the 11 a.m. performances of Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School and Hiccup, as well as the 12:30 p.m. performance of Step Afrika!
Family Theater Day at Playhouse Square is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
The Ohio Arts Council helped fund Family Theater Day at Playhouse Square with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.