Originally created by Katie Mitchell, a theater director from England, “The Cat in the Hat” play — based on Dr. Seuss’s children’s book of the same title — follows two children who are stuck inside on a rainy day. Visited by the Cat in the Hat, Thing One, and Thing Two, the children’s day gets a bit more interesting.
This month, the play came to the Utah Theater in Logan. The 45-minute show caters specifically to young audiences, and the laughter and chattering of children added to the performance’s soundtrack.
The set and props, designed by Brent Innes and Brynn Larsen, appeared cartoonish, as if drawn by Dr. Seuss himself.
Theatre for young audiences first emerged in settlement houses in the 1920s, in which immigrant children found a place to celebrate their homeland while adjusting to their new country.
Actor Xendria Childs Hutchings, who plays Thing One, said this form of theatre helps actors connect with their inner child.
“It's less about what you, as the performer, can do for the play and what you, as the performer, can do for the audience," Childs Hutchings said. "… It's more so like finding ways to reach and inspire children, and finding ways to reconnect with that inner child in a way that's relatable to your audience.”
The main cast consists of eight actors that fill up the stage, run through the aisles, and interact with the audience.
Childs Hutchings said the experience was challenging in some regards, as her character spoke only one line.
“There's so little dialog, you have to do everything in your power to fill that space with your own imagination and creativity.”
The play closes on May 23. To get tickets to the final performances, visit utahfestival.org.
