TORRINGTON – The Goshen County Library Foundation presented “Cinderella” as an interactive story, performed by the Crane River Theater Company on Tuesday, June 8.
The event, which began at 10:30 a.m., took place in the library’s parking lot. The goal of the event, according to Steve Barth, the Crane River Theater Company executive artistic director, is for kids to “see the characters come to life right off the pages of the book.”
The Crane River Theater Company will perform “Cinderella” from June 18 to July 3 (except on Mondays), in Kearney, Nebraska.
Before the opening of their summer show, the cast travels to libraries for “Page to Stage” performances. This “Page to Stage” included a condensed performance of “Cinderella” following the format of a children’s book. The cast also interacted with children through activities and allowing them to answer questions about Cinderella’s story.
“We’re so excited to come here and give you a little taste of the show,” said Barth.
Every summer, the company does interactive programs with county libraries to go with the company’s show at Yanney Heritage Park that year. This year, Barth said the groups are visiting 20 libraries in Kansas, Wyoming and Nebraska.
“Every kid has an imagination; they have a creative side. They need an outlet to express themselves, and theater and music and art are just perfect opportunities for kids to do that,” Barth said.
Barth said he started the organization 12 years ago with a dear friend. Having grown up and gone to school in Kearney, Barth said, “I really wanted to share what I love to do with my hometown.”
Barth said he had been in New York for about eight years before returning to Nebraska.
“We wanted to bring in artists from all over the country and mix them with those area artists,” he said. “As a young artist myself, I would have loved to have that opportunity.”
Today, the company auditions about 4,000 people each year from across the country.
