Created for children 2 – 4 years old, Kathleen Fletcher’s Hurry Up and Wait tells the story of two very different siblings who decide to plant a garden. Harry loves to take his time and has no problem waiting to see the veggies and flowers grow. His younger sister Wendy is always in a hurry and simply cannot wait. Through songs, games, and storytelling, the play teaches young children how to practice patience and introduces them to concepts found in nature as well as human nature.

“As an audience member and playwright, I love interactive performances–having as many entry points to educate and engage the audience as possible,” says playwright Kathleen Fletcher. “While writing this play, activating the audience was at the front of my mind. The theme of the show, practicing patience, is something everyone in the theatre will be able to relate to. We all have experienced having to “hurry up” when you’re not ready, and being told to “wait” when you’re ready to go. Through play and understanding we can hopefully find that balance of being ready and living in the moment.”

Pollyanna Theatre Company is the first to bring ‘Theatre for the Very Young’ (TVY), a variety of theatre work and practices intentionally designed for children under the age of 6, to the Central Texas region. TVY engages children through a visual and physical style of performance merged with elements of dramatic play. Professional actors perform and invite children to participate, providing a bridge for them to use their natural instincts to engage in dramatic play.

Artistic Director Judy Matetzschk-Campbell explains, “TVY provides a wonderful opportunity to invite very young children into their first audience experience, one designed to give them the chance to enter the play at their developmental level. It is a vital first step in training children to be both creative thinkers and audience members. It also provides family members and teachers who are working with preschool students the opportunity to see the children in their care, their fellow audience members, in a whole new light.”