Annie Evans, a staff writer on Sesame Street and children’s book author, will present Aanika’s Elephants at the Center for Puppetry Arts’ Mainstage Theater, Aug. 17 through Sept. 3.
The puppet show, by Feisty Elephant, Little Shadow Productions, and Pam Arciero Productions of New York and Connecticut, focuses on the themes of compassion and courage.
In Aanika’s Elephants, we meet Aanika, a young African girl who meets Little, an orphaned baby elephant living at the sanctuary where her father works. The two grow up together the way only two young girls can, even if one has a trunk. When Aanika’s father dies and she is sent to live with her uncle, she flees into the African Savannah to make one final farewell to Little.
But she doesn’t need to go at this world alone. A small herd of elephants adopts the two and Aanika learns the beautiful, civil ways of an unlikely new family. Years later, she must call on her courage to save her newfound family from poachers.
Through music, puppets and humor, Aanika’s Elephants entertains and educates both adults and children on the plight of the elephant and what strength and courage of one young girl can do to make a difference.
For more information, visit www.puppet.org.
Photo: A scene from from Aanika’s Elephants.
