First Trip to the Theater

We are always looking for new activities for the girls. One of our favorite babysitters sent us a Facebook message that her high school would be doing a production of Beauty and the Beast. She knows how obsessed Catherine is with the Disney princesses and thought we may be interested. My Dad and I took Catherine to see the play while Robby & Sabrina stayed home.

I was thoroughly impressed at how well Catherine paid attention for the three (!!) hour show. During the first act, we sat in the third row. Most of the people in that section were parents of the performers, many of whom were videotaping the play. Unfortunately, I have recently learned, a GREAT way to get Catherine to talk is to take her to the theater. Instead of playing 20 Questions, Catherine engaged us in a game of 100 Questions. I will share a FEW of the questions with you:

Where is Belle? Where did the tea pot go? Why is the Beast up there? When is Belle coming back? Why is there a table on stage? Who is singing? Where is the candlestick? Do you see the closet (wardrobe)? Where is Belle? Will she come back? Did the Beast hurt Belle? Is she getting a band-aid (there was a scene in which the Beast protects Belle from some wolves and accidentally scratched her in the process)? When will the tea pot come back? Can I clap now? Is she dancing? Is that a girl or a boy? I can't see - will they turn on the lights? Why is Belle wearing a red dress now? Why is there smoke on the stage? Where did the Beast go? Where did the Prince come from?

Due to her incessant questions, we moved to the bleachers for the second act, where we could sit with the teenagers who were watching their classmates. They didn't seem as bothered by my toddler's talking.

We decided to go to this play because she already knew the story and the characters and because a high school production is less expensive than a professional production. If it turned out to be a disaster, we would be out less money.

Fortunately, it was not a disaster. It was a huge success. Catherine paid attention for the entire play, even though it lasted longer than I thought it would. She learned some basic theater etiquette: stay in your seat the whole time, clap at the end of scenes. (We'll work on the "not talking" rule later.) She got over her fear of the Beast and now understands that the Beast turned into the Prince and that he was really a nice guy, despite his appearance.

Of course the BEST part of the night was the chance to meet the characters after the show. Catherine met both Belle and the Prince:


As soon as we got home, Catherine told Robby that she met Belle and the Prince. And then she explained that the Prince used to be the Beast, but he changed during the smoke.

I am glad we did not try to take Sabrina, whose attention span could never have allowed her to sit through this play. We'll have to wait a few years for her first trip to the theater.