"The Emperor's New Clothes"

(A royal performance of The Emperor's New Clothes by Alicia Tish Maynard and Bill Burroway. Photo by Roger Hagley.) 

    There's a new theatre group in the Tri-State area, one that's devoted to Children's Theatre - it's called ACT, which stands for Actors for Children Theatre.

    There are basically two kinds of Children's Theatres - the kind that stage shows with young people acting most or all the roles, or performance groups of adults staging shows intended for young people. 

   ACT falls into the second category, and is (I believe) the only such group in our area.

   The company's manifeto says it exists to provide positive, educational experiences for child audiences through theatrical performances by adult actors in the tri-state area of Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. ACT performs for children of all ages at schools, community sites, fairs and festivals and other venues.

   Last weekend the group staged its first-ever production, a performance of The Emperor's New Clothes at the Greenup County Extension Office. The performance was a benefit for River Cities Harvest, and the cost of admission was a can of soup. 

   The performance is based on the classic children's story of a mischievous tailor who comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme that is sure to embarrass the vain Emperor!

   The show is a fun, interactive show aimed at children, and the audience loved it! 

   It's just the beginning for this group -  upcoming performances include;

- February 27 at 4 p.m. - Guyandotte Boys and Girls Club, Guyandotte W.Va.

-  March 6 at 1 p.m. - Wurtland Elementary School, Wurtland, Ky.

-  March 20 - two shows - Campbell Elementary School, Raceland, Ky.

-  April 15 - two shows - Ironton-Lawrence County Head Start at Ohio University and Central, Ironton Ohio.

-  April 17 - two shows - Ironton-Lawrence County head Start at Dawson Bryant / Symmes Valley, Coal Grove and Willow Wood, Ohio.

-  April 24 at 1 p.m. - Charles Russell Elementary School, Ashland Ky.

-  May 13 at 10 a.m. - Cabell County Public Library, Huntington W.Va.

   If you'd like to request or schedule a performance by ACT, you can contact Director Sarah Diamond Burroway on Facebook.