MTE reviews: Wolf Trap's Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods

If you're a DC metro area resident, then the words Wolf Trap probably do not conjure up images of captive wildlife. Instead, your mind is most likely filled with peaceful visions of natural beauty and the sounds of summer concerts. While I've had a couple opportunities to attend concerts at Wolf Trap in years past, last week marked my introduction to the Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods. And what a fun, memorable, and fabulous introduction it was. If you've never been, check out the cool 360 panoramic view here.

The children and I attended one of their summer two-for-one performances last week, and we dragged a friend of mine and her darling two children, as well. Okay, it wasn't necessary to drag them, for my friend was as convinced as I was that our collective crew of kids would enjoy the two shows. We were seriously not disappointed.


First up was storyteller Baba Jamal Koram, with a program entitled Under the Griot’s Tree: Stories of Wonder and Wisdom. I have to admit that I was unfamiliar with the term "griot," so thanks to Wikipedia, I learned that it is a term for a West African storyteller. As soon as Baba Jamal Koram came on stage, he had the audience captivated, which isn't a small feat, considering that he faced a crowd of young children who weren't allowed to snack during his show. (That statement is absolutely NOT intended as a swipe on the no food rule- I absolutely understand the need for keeping food out of that environment!) With some fabulous techniques, BJK enraptured the children with stories that involved rhythm and audience participation. I especially liked the way he pretended to forget names of things when he wanted kids to offer suggestions. Wonderful. My own children are still singing and chanting some of the songs he introduced, and they have loved playing with the creative sounds and words in the songs.

After Baba Jamal Koram, the kids were all smiles as you can see, and Red even began tapping out her own rhythms utilizing some natural resources around her.

After my dear friend T walked the kids out of the theater area to consume a much needed snack (oh, if only Red had listened to me and actually finished her breakfast that morning), we were all ready for the second show. The always smiling Steve Roslonek, of SteveSongs and PBS Kids fame, took the stage in his ever-present red polo shirt and carrying his guitar. The next hour was filled with catchy kids' songs that provided genuine giggles here and there for the adults.

Steve's charisma with children was palpable from where we sat, and even though my kids were only somewhat familiar with him from his appearances on PBS, they were immediately drawn in by his show. (Even the ten year old, although his smiles did seem somewhat begrudging at times. Eh, he's a tween, so that's par for the course, right?) And he didn't forget the adults in the audience either, throwing out some jokes our way and making the show just so much fun to be a part of.

That's a whole lot of audience participation.

Red and her pal trying to put on their "Grumpy Girl" faces.

Yeah, it's too hard to be grumpy during this show.

Mr. Steve singing his new Flat Stanley song, complete with stretched out FS arms.

Pudge's AWESOME version of Flat Stanley.

My friend Kim's hubby and a couple of the bubbles he worked hard to blow during a Bubble song.

Crazy kids storming the stage during the performance.

Mr.. Steve coming to play his final song down in the kiddie mosh pit.

After the show, Steve was kind enough to plop down in a folding chair in the shade near the picnic area to chat with his young fans. Seriously, that nice guy sat there for longer than he had performed! When it was our turn, the kids and he told each other some jokes, and our little fans-in-training even got their tickets signed. Though Pudge was feeling uber-shy, he eventually came around enough to give Steve one of his signature sting-your-hand-high-fives (sorry about that, Mr. Steve), and everyone posed for this lovely shot taken by JAM, who politely declined to be in the photo. It was very clear that he loves his work, and he had genuinely interested interactions with the kids. Nice guy.

We had packed our lunches, so we settled down on a shady patch of grass to eat with Kim and her family, while our combined seven children ate and giggled over jokes. Wolf Trap's natural beauty is undeniable, and it was a lovely place to picnic. The only suggestion that I have for families who may be attending any of the shows scheduled for the rest of the summer is this: pack some cash and a large package of wipes, because the ice cream cart that greets you on your exit from the theatre will undoubtedly call to your children as it did to ours. (Thank goodness for good pals who actually still carry cash.)

Happy, sticky children.

All in all, our first trip to Wolf Trap's Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods will hopefully not be our last. It's a bit of a hike to get there, especially in Beltway traffic, but it was well worth the dozens of "When will we be there?" inquiries in the end.

** Disclosure: I was offered a complimentary family four pack of tickets from Wolf Trap as part of a blogger outreach program which I used to attend this performance. All opinions of the incredible shows and beauteous Wolf Trap setting are entirely my own and influenced only by my love for nature, fabulous stories, and silly kids' songs.


Theatrically yours,