Five plays for BABIES AND TODDLERS.
Nonverbal. Hyper-engaging. Deeply artistic. Unrelentingly playful.
Two robots vie for the audience's attention as they try to out-beep-boop each other. A live bass player underscores a journey deep into a cave (that happens to look like a cardboard box). A tent becomes a vast cosmos to explore with the help of a beatboxer. A rainforest wakes up into a glorious cacophony of sounds as we meet its affable animal residents. Two different worlds of straight and squiggly lines find connection through penpals looking to see if there's room for all of us.
At times silly and beautiful, sophisticated and vibrant and gentle, these nonverbal plays were born from the minds and hearts of married theatremakers Matt Bassett and Tia Shearer Bassett during their time with Arts on the Horizon, a leader in Theatre for the Very Young. These 30-minute pieces invite the littles and their adults to engage with problem solving, make friends, and learn how to see themselves in this big, beautiful world...with lots of giggles along the way. Gorgeous opportunity for collaboration with live musicians, and topnotch physical theatre/clowning material.
Five lights to guide our littlest theatregoers to a lifetime of story.
*If you'd like to license more than one of these for performance, please select one as the main script, and then select the additional script(s) in the supplemental materials option.
Nutt and Bolt:
Two neighboring robots—one clangy and chaotic, the other sleek and precise—battle for the audience's favor in contests of skill and wit, to prove who has the best moves, building materials, and sense of cleanliness. As rivalry turns to overload, they learn how to listen, share, and work together, making structures and music with their new friends’ help.
Out of the Box:
Out of the Box follows adventurous young PJ (along with her stuffies and upright bass-playing imaginary friend) on a very special day. The day when she finds…A BOX. Through that box, PJ and pals take the audience through caves, across the sea, and into the great blue yonder. Before bedtime.
Space-Bop:
In Space-Bop, a Chaplinesque clown lives a quiet, solitary life. That is, until a shooting star crash lands in her home, scored by a live beatboxer! At the energetic star’s insistence, the clown builds a rocket ship to bring them both up to the cosmos, visiting a series of planets as they seek to reunite the little star with its mama.
Under the Canopy:
An immersive rainforest environment gradually comes to life around an audience of babies and caregivers. Through color, sound, and gentle interaction with friendly creatures including an umbrella-bird and an affable spider guy, the space invites exploration and shared discovery. Designed as a first theatrical experience rooted in sensory engagement and comfort.
Outside the Lines:
Bud and Vi live in different worlds—one made of straight lines, the other of curves—but neither feels quite at home. Through movement and visual storytelling, their long-distance exchange encourages each to imagine new possibilities. A poetic piece underscored with tango music about self-expression, curiosity, and belonging.
Each of the five plays is listed individually. If you'd like to license more than one for your performance, select one as the main script, and then select the additional script(s) in the supplemental materials section.
