New York City Children’s Theater commissioned Hit The Lights! Theater Company to create a production for young audiences. Taste the Clouds is a breezy thirty minute exploration of whimsical notions to trigger the imagination. The story is based on Rita Marshall’s book of the same name. The targeted age range is two to five years old. The children in the audience ranged from fidgety but engaged to focused and riveted on the action.
In the lobby, cast members interact with the kids as they arrive. “Make sure you get your imagination paintbrush over there.” A “really cool” activity table is where the children decorate their paintbrushes with stickers. The table is toddler height and portends the level of smart details which follow.
There are plenty of chairs for the adults in the theater. Kids are encouraged to sit on the floor. A sheet is the “magic canvas.” Some children sat with their parents or on their laps. Others plopped themselves front and center. The first item on the agenda? “Raise your hands if this is the first time you’ve ever been to a play; ever been to the theater before?” The initial feel good vibe never wanes.
Hit The Lights uses shadow puppetry projected onto a screen in this show. I saw their production of Dungeon at Ars Nova in 2018. Similarly, action occurs on screen and in front with the actors. Rain comes down in the form of musical notes. A dog is outside looking up at the clouds. Buddy appears in the form of a two piece animal. His head is manipulated in one hand with his body in the other. One child stood up and gently poked Buddy in the nose. He sneezed. The moment was adorable.
Buddy also provided some structure. When one child left the magic canvas and joined the actors, Buddy pointed his nose back to the sitting area which seemed to do the trick. After all, it was time to take the imaginary paintbrushes and touch the stars. “We did it!”
Exploration is on the agenda in Taste the Clouds. A girl rides an owl into the sky. The projected puppetry shows the flight and then changes the perspective to a close up. The zooming in from larger imagery to detailed visuals is effectively used throughout. The puppet show is fun and appropriately simple. The questions posed are more surreal.
“Do you believe I can listen to colors?” The children are then asked, “What’s your favorite color?” Pink is the first one yelled out. Then a child adds “rainbow.” One of the actors comments that rainbow is a “solid choice.” Little imaginations are pressed into listening to the blue flower. “Purple was tricky.”
Fruits will be added to a cauldron. Our heroine dons a scuba mask and she and Buddy dive in. Swirling inside is a psychedelic soup. “All that smelling and swimming made me hungry.” The story quickly moves on and the children seemed attentive as a result. Their was a nice balance of watching and participating which kept interest high.
When the children paint the sky, a slice of pizza is seen floating. There will be dumplings and donuts. Buddy excitedly eats everything and then turns into an exaggeratedly bloated dog. This warning about overeating is very funny. By the show’s end, you will believe it is possible to smell a rainbow, taste the clouds, see the music and listen to the moon.
Exiting the theater, the cast is available for photos. The five performers, both in front of and behind the curtain, strike a nice tone to engage the children without using baby talk. At the end, the children are told “we are honored for this being your first play.” Taste the Clouds is a sunny introduction to the world of magical invention in the theater and in the mind. The kids looked like they had a fun time. From their seat, the clouds were very tasty.
Taste the Clouds is performed on Sundays at the Flea Theater through April 26, 2020.