Since 1973, St. Louis-based Metro Theater Company has helped foster an early appreciation for the arts in children through its educational theater productions performed in schools and community centers throughout the city and state. To help continue this tradition, on Thursday, April 1, area Whole Foods Markets will sponsor a Community Support Day to benefit the theater company.
This April Fool’s Day, 5 percent of everything customers spend at Whole Foods stores will be donated to Metro Theater Company.
The highlight of the day will be appearances by Metro Theater Company actors at each Whole Foods store, singing through the aisles and performing excerpts from Fables (the current school-touring show, with performances throughout the month of April) as well as meeting and greeting customers. Throughout the day, the company will provide fun activities for children, beginning with a 10 a.m. story time for the very young and up. There will also be hands-on activities for preschool and elementary school children, including making owl-shaped cards like the owl in Fables.
From 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., Metro Theater Company representatives will be on hand providing information about the 2010-11 season – with its feature production, a stage adaptation of Lois Lowry’s Newbery Award-winning novel The Giver. Customers will be among the first to learn about a revival of Tomato Plant Girl, first premiered by Metro Theater Company in 1998, and will be able to enter drawings for tickets to Metro Theater Company performances.
Take the kids shopping and help support this great cultural institution for children.
When: Thursday, April 1
Appearances by Theater Company actors:
At the Town and Country store (1160 Town and Country Crossing Drive) 2-3:30 p.m. At the Galleria Store (1601 S. Brentwood Blvd) 4:30-6 pm.
Amy Burger, events blogger for SmartParenting
Amy Burger is a mom, freelance writer and communications professional with nearly 20 years experience working in St. Louis. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and media outlets including STL Parent, Missouri Life magazine, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Town & Style and kdhx.org, among others. When she's not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two beautiful girls at home in Kirkwood.
See the Zoo's California sea lions perform acrobatic and athletic feats, including Olympic-style dives on a high-diving platform, flipper walks, frisbee tosses and plenty of surprises. While on stage with the sea lions, the Zoo's trainers explain sea lion behavior and positive-reinforcement training, in addition to the need for conserving the sea lion's ocean habitat.
Explore songs, finger plays, music and more during this Music & Movement class for ages 0-6. Some sessions are held in person at various branches of the St. Louis County Library. Some sessions are virtual.
Visit The Magic House for Toddler Time, a special early-morning program for toddlers. Children age 1-4 can take part in exhibits and exclusive interactive activities designed just for little ones. There are new themes every week!
9 Mile Garden presents family-friendly movie nights all summer long on Wednesday evenings. Enjoy a free movie on the 325-inch big screen along with food trucks, kiddie cocktails, slushies and more.
Romeo & Zooliet is a wildly fun, family-friendly stage adaptation of Romeo & Juliet! It explores what would happen if animals at the Saint Louis Zoo put on their own Shakespearean performance after zookeepers go home for the night. The show stage and seating area is designed as an enchanting version of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre within the Zoo's Historic Hill area. "Romeo & Zooliet" is produced as a partnership of the Saint Louis Zoo and the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. The production features dazzling animal puppetry by world-renowned Michael Curry Design, known for its work on Broadway's "The Lion King" and "Frozen," as well as Olympic and Super Bowl ceremonies.
