Aesop’s Fables are classic tales that many will remember from childhood. The fables began as an oral tradition in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE and have since been written out and passed on through generations.
But what would it be like if these fables took place in modern times? Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater production of Aesop’s Fables does just that. The Boy Who Cried Wolf is busy playing on his phone and the Ants are snacking on Cheetos, bringing a unique 21st century twist to the well-loved classic stories along with music.
The show was put on by Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater Ensemble, an eight week acting workshop which helps young actors learn about memorizing lines, putting on a production and more, ending with a final production— in this case, Aesop’s Fables. The youngest of the group recently turned eight years old.
As a majority of the characters in these characters are animals, costume designer Margie Jervis and a team of volunteers set out to make incredible masks for all of the performers. The masks cover the entire face of the performer so masks can be worn underneath for an extra layer of protection along with the audience showing proof of vaccination and wearing masks for the performance.
“We were thrilled to produce our first Learning Theater production in 21 months, and begin to see families return to the Cauldron,” said Laura Conners Hull, director of the play and founder of Creative Cauldron. “We chose Aesop’s Fables because it afforded us the extra protective aspect of all the characters being in masks. And we knew that Margie Jervis, our resident Scenic and Costume Designer, would make them astonishing.”
The audience was filled with adults and children alike. For the adults in attendance, the show likely brings a sense of nostalgia to stories from their childhood but the modern twists keep it unique and entertaining. For many of the younger audience members, this may be their first time hearing these stories and they will certainly walk away from the show with new lessons learned.
The show ended with a question and answer session where audience members could ask members of the Learning Theater questions. Members of the audience were all eager to ask questions and the Learning Theater were even more eager to answer them. Questions ranged from acting to costumes and more with almost everyone on stage raising their hand to answer.
This is the perfect show for people of all ages. The actors in the show have put in lots of time and effort to make this production a great one and it is the first time on stage for many of them. The show closes this weekend so make sure to get your tickets and see it for yourself!
Aesop’s Fables closes this weekend at Creative Cauldron with shows on Friday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 20 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 21 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. To purchase tickets and find out more details on Covid protocol, visit Creative Cauldron’s website at https://www.creativecauldron.org/.
