The PNC International Children’s Festival is taking center stage in Cleveland at PlayhouseSquare on Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5.
The festival is now on its third year, and bigger than ever. This year’s installment will feature workshops, make-and-take craft stations, live music on the street, a free mini-fest of international children’s short films and five theatrical productions.
The latter will feature a feast of sights and sounds from all over the world. Le Theatre Motus from Canada will present the African folklore tale “Baobab,” while Mexico’s Marionetas de la Esquina will present the tale “Emilio and the Enchanted Cow,” a story about a little boy who conquers changes through imagination. Handsome Little Devils from the United States will be presenting “Squirm Burpee,” while Scotland’s Visible Fictions company will present “Zorro.” Lastly, percussionists from Bangladesh, Senegal, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Suriname and Venezuela come together in “worlds of Rhythm.”
Tickets to see each play cost $14, while most of the other activities such as the music, films and crafts are free of charge.
Gina Vernaci, senior vice president of theater operations for PlayhouseSquare, said, “You can engage children in a festival in a way that goes beyond the performance. We wanted to create something beyond the show, to extend the experience. If you interest the young children, they’ll stick with it.”
