A hungry wolf bearing an uncanny resemblance to pop superstar Prince is preying on a family of goats. Will the youngest family member save the day? Or will the furry fiend cast “Purple Rain” on everyone’s parade?

Audiences soon will find out, as the Children’s Theatre Festival (CTF) kicks off May 28 at the University of Houston’s Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre with “The Wolf and the Foolish Kids.”

The festival has brought both classic and contemporary fairy tales to the Wortham stage each summer for 26 years. With its blend of music, humor, ornate costumes and colorful sets, CTF is one of the country’s premiere events for children’s theater.

“The Wolf and the Foolish Kids” was written by Bren Dubay and adapted from the fairy tale “The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids.” Director Carolyn Houston Boone said this year’s CTF production will have more than its share of added touches including the Princely wolf and goats with contemporary musical tastes.

“Expect to see goats rapping and singing country-western,” said Boone, associate professor of acting and directing.

To keep children entertained, the play must have plenty of movement, Boone said. For parents and other adults in the audience, she tries to add several ‘wink, nudge’ inside jokes. She said the balance of mature humor and outlandish theatrics is derived from the 1959 animated shorts “Fractured Fairy Tales,” which offered comedic versions of popular children’s stories.

Sidney Berger, director of the School of Theatre, and Dubay started the festival in 1978. In an effort to elevate each CTF production, Berger commissioned original works from top playwrights, lyricists and composers. Likewise, professional actors were cast in key roles.

“These are high quality plays,” Boone said. “Every play is treated as if Arthur Miller wrote it. For the community, the festival has become dependable. People know that there will be fun material that inspires creativity within their children.”

“The Wolf and the Foolish Kids” runs through June 11. Other 2004 CTF plays are “Aesop’s Fables,” which runs from June 18 – July 2, and “The New Adventures of Pinocchio,” which runs from July 16 – Aug. 1.

For show times and ticket information, contact the Wortham Box Office at (713) 743-2929 or visit the CTF Web site at http://www.class.uh.edu/theatre/Performance/ctf.htm.

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu