Life Lessons, Tamales and More at 24th St Theatre….

The 24th Street Theatre has mastered the craft of entertaining young & old alike, whether you speak English or Spanish, are 5 years old or 85 years old…as long as you’re looking to have a giggle, learn, & maybe even get a tamale.

Oh yeah, & they are teaching children about life & death, too.

You might recall my posts when I first began featuring them, about their ground breaking, intimate play, Walking the Tightrope, which premiered in March & tells the story of a little girl & her Grandpa dealing with the passing of her Grandma. Its gone on to win countless awards & earn the most nods for this years LA Ovation Awards.

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Their show last week was no exception. Hailing from Mexico, The Proyecto Perla Company brought to 24th ST, Pato, Muerte y Tulipán (“Duck,  Death and Tulip”). A 45 minute act filled with puppetry, paper, words & leaves that follows Duck & the adventures he sets out on with his new friend, Death. Together, these characters learn about what it means to have fun & truly be alive. While this plot may sound somber, I think the jam-packed house of youngsters (& parents, too) were proof that it actually was anything but. While some tough life topics are indeed covered, there were many laughs & smiling faces.

I was so impressed by how much fun everyone appeared to be having, the kids were well-behaved & so interactive with Executive Director, Jay McAdams, when he gave his intro speech. Many raised their hands when asked if this was their first time at the theatre.

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This weekend, 24th will proudly introduce us to another company visiting from south of the border, Compañía Hecho a Mano will show us their Lágrimas de Agua Dulce (“Tears of Sweet Water”) which will introduce us to Sofia, a little girl living in a town plagued by drought & is forced to cry as her tears provide…sweet water, for the people.

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I also am looking forward to November 2nd, when the theatre will hold their Dia de los Muertos event. Theres always something going on, like their premiere of Hansel & Gretel with a bluegrass twist next year, so check out their web-site here & if you don’t believe me, just ask blockbuster star, Jack Black, who is a long time supporter of 24th’s work & had this to say recently: “I saw Walking the Tightrope with my wife, children & parents. Three generations of my family experienced this show together & we were all blown away.”

Not bad, eh? 🙂 (And, don’t forget the tamales in the lobby!) xo

(*Disclosure: I work often with The 24th St Theatre on reviews & photography on behalf of this blog. Special thanks to them for these great opportunities to see their work!)

  1. Susan Cooper

    October 11, 2013 at 10:06 pm

    Sounds wonderful. The theater is a wonderful venue that I believe should be shared with the whole family. 🙂

    1. Along Comes Mary

      October 13, 2013 at 8:12 pm

      Totally! They do such a great job at it, too 🙂

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