By: Ebony H.

Upon entering Imagination Stage’s Christopher and Dana Reeve Studio Theater, you are immediately transported to a magical place where anything is possible.  A place were sour lemons are transformed into sweet sunshine; plush soft squares become pillow fish; and where seaweed magically becomes beautiful flowers! Aquarium, is a nautical journey led by two characters, Jack (Noah Israel) and Calypso (Linda Bard). They creatively guide the audience through tending a beautiful garden, creating their own sunshine and playing with an assortment of sea creatures in the ocean.  

Prior to our Aquarium experience, we used the activity guide to prepare for the Big Day! We planted seeds to start our first family garden and we used our whole bodies to turn lemons into all sorts of things.  The guide includes several activities that can be done at home with many household materials and minimal preparation.  Imagination Stage provides an activity guide for all of their performances to help you start and continue your experience. The guides can be found on Imagination Stage website.

The format of the Aquarium was definitely developed with little ones in mind. It was almost unbelievable to see the cast capture and maintain the attention of a theater full of one to five year olds. The play has the perfect balance of performance and audience participation appropriate for preschoolers. The set and props used incorporated various colors, textures and and sounds to spark curiosity and the desire to discover more. 

We look forward to our next experience at Imagination Stage! The performance runs March 30–April 14, 2019! Visit www.imaginationstate.org to purchase your tickets to the Aquarium and to find out more about the other performances, workshops and classes for children of all ages.