Children's Theatre Foundation

Children's Theatre Foundation is a non-profit organization whose goal is to provide top quality, live performances to school-age children in the North Central Ohio area.

Each year, the Children's Theatre Foundation presents a diverse season of educational theatre offerings to the surrounding school community. Performances are hosted at the Renaissance Theare, Founder's Auditorium on the Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus, and occasionally in local school auditoriums.

Tickets are available by contacting Darlene Taylor at 419-756-3115 or dtaylor105@neo.rr.com. For more information on the Children's Theatre Foundation, visit www.childrenstheatrefoundation.com.

2012-2013 Season

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: October 31, 2012

Grades K-6, presented by ArtReach at the Renaissance

Washington Irving's autumnal masterpiece tells of the new schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, his sweetheart Katrina, and the devilishly handsome Brom Bones. Written by award-winning Ohio Playwright, Kathryn Schultz Miller, this clever adaptation, loaded with hearty audience participation, is more funny than scary and comes complete with a Headless Horseman! Thematic Connections: American History, Literary Classic, Art, Reading.

Macbeth: October 26th and November 2, 2012

Grades 8-12, presented by The OSU-Mansfield Theatre Department at Schools near you

Shakespeare's classic tale of evil and power. Performances will be at the following schools, and are open to outside school districts, provided seats are available:

October 26th, 2012:

Shelby High School, 9:10 am
Mansfield Senior High, 1:10 pm

November 2nd, 2012:

Ashland High School, 8:00 am
Fredericktown High School, 1:15 pm

Bunnicula: November 6, 2012

Grades 2-6, Presented by TheatreWorks USA at The Renaissance

Lock up your lettuce! Protect your parsley! Rescue your rutabaga! A floppy-eared bunny with mysterious habits is staking out its place in Theatreworks USA’s spine-tingling new musical co-written by Tony-nominated playwright Charles Busch and based on the best-selling books by James & Deborah Howe: BUNNICULA! Chester the cat and Harold the dog get along like... Well... Cats and dogs, even though underneath their furry exteriors, they’re really the best of pals. But one dark and stormy night, the Monroe family comes home from the movies with an orphaned rabbit they found under their seats. A very strange baby rabbit who has sharp fangs instead of buck teeth, and who sleeps all day and prowls around his cage all night.

Meanwhile, all the vegetables in the house are drained of their color and turn white. Could this possibly be a coincidence, or could Bunnicula be a vampire? Chester thinks so – he’ll stop at nothing until he vanquishes the new arrival, even if it means the end of his friendship with Harold. Will Harold and Chester remain friends? Will Bunnicula find his mother before it’s too late? Will the nocturnal assault on all that is good and green continue? Find out in Theatreworks USA’s BUNNICULA!

Skippyjon Jones: February 14, 2013

Grades K-3, presented by Theatreworks USA at The Renaissance

Skippyjon Jones is a little kitten with big ears and even bigger dreams! Sometimes he pretends to be a bird, sometimes he pretends to be a llama, and sometimes he pretends to be a whale… Anything BUT a Siamese cat! His Mama sends him to his room so that he can think about behaving like the cat he really is. While bouncing on his big boy bed, Skippyjon’s wild imagination takes over again as he catches his reflection in a mirror. “Holy guacamole,” Skippyjon exclaims. “My ears are too big for my head, my head is too big for my body. I am not a Siamese cat – I am a CHIHUAHUA!” And not just any Chihuahua. He dons a mask, a cape, and an accent, and transforms into Skippito Friskito, the greatest canine sword fighter in old Mexico! But when the local pack of chihuahuas is terrorized by the gigantic bee, Alfredo Buzzito El Blimpo Bublebeeto Bandito, will Skippyjon be a ‘fraidy-cat or the top dog?

Based on the book by Judy Schachner, and from the creators of Theatreworks USA’s Junie B. Jones and Click, Clack, Moo, Skippyjon Jones is an enchanting musical about unleashing your powerful imagination and following your dreams.

A Thousand Cranes: May 2, 2013

Grades 7-12, presented by eckerd Theater Company at The Renaissance

There is a legend that says that any person who folds a thousand paper cranes will be granted a wish. Sadako Sasaki was two years old. Her mother held her in her arms and sang a lullaby. In the house, her grandmother was making tea. Suddenly, a flash of light cut across the sky. Ten years later, in 1955, when Sadako was a happy 12 year old school girl in Hiroshima, the radiation sickness came. Sadako began to fold cranes, wishing to be well again, wishing that an atom bomb like the one that took her grandmother would never be dropped again.

Before her death, Sadako folded six hundred and forty-four cranes. Her friends and classmates folded three hundred fifty-six more to make one thousand. Three years later, in Hiroshima Peace Park, they unveiled a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane in her outstretched arms with this inscription: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.” Every year since then, children have sent thousands of cranes to be placed at the foot of her monument. This play tells the true story of Sadako and of how her spirit of hope and strength continues to inspire young people the world over to work for peace.