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diggTwo plays with "teeth"
Theatre productions: one child friendly, one adults only - have caught our attention
A couple of theater productions - one child friendly, one adults only - have caught our attention as must-see material.
Childsplay's Peter and the Wolf offers the opportunity to expose young minds to orchestration, a great cultural double-whammy for parents. The characters in this well-loved Prokofiev tale -- Peter, his grandfather, the duck, the cat, the wolf and the hunters - are each paired with memorable musical themes throughout the play. These audio "cues" teach young ears about classical music.
Peter and the Wolf runs through March 11 at the Tempe Performing Arts Center, 132 E. Sixth St., Tempe. Tickets are $18 and $22. For information, visit www.childsplayaz.org or call (480) 350-8101.
Over at Actors Theatre, playwright Wil Eno's Thom Paine (based on nothing) might prick the audience's ears with a stream of thoughts that jangle more than one nerve, gathering force as the play unfolds. Dwayne Hartford, who first touched Arizona audiences as the father in Childsplay's The Yellow Boat, plays the wry Paine, described as a "Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation."
Thom Paine runs through Feb. 11 at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix. Single ticket prices are $24 to $43.50. Group discounts are available. All tickets one hour prior to performance are 50 percent off. The student rush discount is $13 the day of the show with valid student ID, available seating. For info, visit www.actorstheatrePHX.org or call (602) 253-6701.
