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We are beyond excited to announce the launch of the inaugural Aesop Festival of New Fables, theatre geared for young audiences. This play festival is a vibrant celebration of making old stories new for storytellers and story lovers. This new festival is dedicated to showcasing performances, script readings and audience engagement that is designed to engage, entertain, and ignite the imaginations of children and families.

Through a diverse lineup of script readings, presentations and talkbacks, each experience crafted to speak to the hearts and minds of young audiences, we invite you to explore new worlds, discover unforgettable characters, and encounter the magic of theater. From whimsical adventures to thought-provoking tales, Aesop Festival promises to be an exciting, immersive event where creativity knows no bounds. Join us in celebrating the power of live theater to spark curiosity, empathy and joy in young people and their families.

Festival Schedule 

Monday, April 21 

Join us for a special introduction to the internationally acclaimed Honolulu Theatre for Youth before their highly anticipated May residency with SCT. This dynamic ensemble blends rich Hawaiian traditions with captivating artistry, offering an exclusive sneak preview of The Pa‘akai We Bring, followed by an engaging talkback with the artists.

Light drinks and refreshments will be served.

Time
  • 4:30 PM Doors open with light drinks and refreshments served
  • 5:30 PM The Pa’akai We Bring preview
  • 6:35 PM The Pa’akai We Bring talkback with cast
Friday, April 25

Join us for a special script reading of a new work that brings young Frida Kahlo’s imagination to life. Set during the Mexican Revolution, this lyrical story follows Frida as she paints her way through illness and upheaval, guided by a magical Tehuana dress on a journey to confront the powerful Aztec Emperador. The reading will be followed by a talkback with Israel Jiménez, playwright, director, and community-driven theatre artist.

Light drinks and refreshments will be served.

Time
  • 4:30 PM Doors open with light drinks and refreshments served
  • 5:30 PM Yo Soy Frida Performance
  • 6:30 PM Yo Soy Frida talkback with playwright and director
SATUrDAY, April 26

Award-winning playwright Idris Goodwin brings William Steig’s tale of wit, wisdom, and whimsy to the stage with an eye-popping blend of live-action, puppetry, music, and rhyme. Despite the sign outside stating that they do not treat predators, the De Soto family dentist practice takes pity on a suffering fox with a rotten tooth. But once he opens his jaws and they must step inside, they begin to rethink their decision. Full of excitement and laughter, this modern-day fable proves that even the smallest creatures can make a big difference with kindness and a little quick thinking.

Join us for a special script reading of a new work that brings young Frida Kahlo’s imagination to life. Set during the Mexican Revolution, this lyrical story follows Frida as she paints her way through illness and upheaval, guided by a magical Tehuana dress on a journey to confront the powerful Aztec Emperador. The reading will be followed by a talkback with Israel Jiménez, playwright, director, and community-driven theatre artist. This is the second performance of this show.

 

Time
  • 10:00 AM Doors open
  • 10:30 AM Dr. Desoto Performance #1
  • 12:30 PM Yo Soy Frida Performance #2
  • 2:30 PM Dr. Desoto Performance #2
  • 3:30 PM Dr. Desoto talkback with playwright

Location
Eve Alvord Theatre

Date
Monday April 21, 2025 – Saturday April 26, 2025

Age Recommendation
For Ages 2+

Tickets
$20 suggested donation – covers admission to all shows throughout the week

Register for THE Aesop Festival

More Info

What is a Script Reading? 

A script reading is where professional actors read a script live from the stage. Actors deliver their lines dramatically from the script with minimal direction and movement, but in character and with vigor. There are no technical elements such as props, costumes, scenery, or lighting, but the stage directions are read aloud to give the audience the context for each scene.  

As with any writing, revision is a key part of the process to develop a play. Unlike other types of writing, theatrical scripts are mostly dialogue, therefore hearing the words read aloud is instrumental to revising a script, prior to adding props, costumes or even blocking. A script reading provides audiences the opportunity to interact in the theatrical process and serves as a sneak peek at a potential upcoming production. They’re often more experimental, and not every reading becomes a show, so the audience is always seeing and hearing something unique. 

Idris Goodwin

Playwright and Artistic Director of Seattle Children's Theatre

Idris Goodwin is an award-winning storyteller for multiple generations. An accomplished playwright, breakbeat poet, content creator, and arts champion, Goodwin is recognized as a culture bearer who celebrates community values and cultivates histories with care. Idris is the author of over 60 original plays ranging from his Hip Hop inspired breakbeat series to historical dramas to works for young audiences. Titles such as And In This Corner: Cassius ClayHow We Got OnHype Man: A Break Beat PlayThis is Modern Art (co-written with Kevin Coval) and the ground breaking Free Play: open source scripts for an antiracist tomorrow, are widely produced across the country by a diverse mix of professional and academic venues. Idris is the author of the recent picture book Your House Is Not Just A House (Harper Collins) and the forthcoming YA Novel King Of The Neuro Verse (Simon & Schuster) .

Johamy Morales

Director and Interim Artistic Director of Seattle Children's Theatre

Johamy Morales (she/her) is a 20 year veteran of Theatre for Young Audiences and is dedicated to producing new works, community engagement and social justice through the arts. Johamy currently serves as a Board Member for Red Eagle Soaring. Recently she served on SCT’s Artistic Advisory Circle, Reimagine: New Plays by BIPOC in TYA advisor, and as a Trustee for Theatre Communication Group (TCG) where she advised on the Rising Leaders of Color program and TCG’s Education Conference for four consecutive years. Prior to working with SCT, Johamy served as the Education Director for Creede Repertory Theatre in Colorado and directed the Comparative Arts Department and the Junior Musical Theatre Program at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. Johamy is an alumnus of the Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship at Arena Stage and the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England, where she studied Contemporary & Classical works. Johamy toured with the cast of New World Jukebox where she performed in Grahamstown National Arts Festival in South Africa and with San Diego State University in, Carnaval de Calaveras, with performances in Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Mexico D.F. In 2017 and 2022, Johamy was invited through the US State Department, the US Embassy & Consulate of India, and several NGO’s to promote awareness of gender violence and global diversity in India. As an educator, artist, and director Johamy has worked with various schools and nonprofit organizations both nationally and internationally including Theatre for Young Audiences/USA, American Alliance for Theatre & Education, Colorado Creative Industries, The New Harmony Project, Child’s Play: Write Now, First Stage, Theatre Alliance, Seattle’s KING FM 98.1, Arts West, Seattle Theatre Group, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Hope College, Fort Lewis College, University of San Diego, La Jolla Playhouse, Esperanza Charter School, and Columbus Refugee & Immigration Services. Johamy holds an MFA in acting from The Ohio State University, with a specialization in devising new works, and a BA in Theatre from San Diego State University.

Israel Jiménez

Israel Jiménez

Playwright, Director, and Actor dedicated to community-driven theatre

Israel Jiménez is a playwright, director, and actor focused on creating community-driven theatre. His play Yo Soy Frida won the Dorothy Webb Playwright Award at the Write Now symposium and will be included in Palabras del Cielo: An Exploration of Latina/o Theatre for Young Audiences (Volume II). His directing work includes American IdiotThe Addams Family, and She Kills Monsters at Arizona Theatre Company's Summer On Stage, as well as AriZoni-awarded productions of Pinocchio for Valley Youth Theatre and Frida for Teatro Bravo. As an actor, Israel has performed with Seattle Children’s Theatre, Childsplay, Southwest Shakespeare Company, and Pacific Conservatory Theatre, with roles including Usnavi in In the Heights, Angel in RENT, and Tomás in the national tour of Tomás and the Library Lady. He has served as Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility & Community Engagement at Round House Theatre and Director of Community Engagement for Theatre Under the Stars. He is committed to using theatre as a platform for meaningful storytelling and community empowerment.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth

Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) produces professional theatre and drama education programs that make a difference in the lives of young people, families and educators in the state of Hawai‘i. HTY believes that drama education and theatre are unique, socially-based education and art forms that help their participants and audiences walk in the shoes of others, allowing them to expand their imaginations, enrich their lives and discover the infinite possibilities in the world. HTY works towards a future for Hawai‘i in which people are culturally literate and imaginative, are critical thinkers and inventive problem solvers, with a respect for history and a sense of place in a complex world.

 

 

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