CHILDREN'S THEATER
Enjoy the magic of award-winning children's theater with your family!
Resident arts organizations Adventure Theatre MTC and the Puppet Co. have presented high quality children's productions to families in the Washington, DC area for decades. Thousands of children have been introduced to the magic of theater at Glen Echo Park.
On View & Upcoming Shows
THE PUPPET CO.
- Tiny Tots | Ongoing
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Designed for children 18 months to 4 years old, Tiny Tots offers a viewing atmosphere especially suited for young theatre patrons.
All Tiny Tots shows feature:
- 30 min. runtime
- no dark room
- no surprising loud noises
- open theatre doors
- Bits 'N Pieces Puppet Theatre presents: The Selfish Giant's Garden | August 23 - September 14, 2025
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Bits 'N Pieces Puppet Theatre presents: The Selfish Giant's Garden
August 23 - September 14, 2025Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre’s The Selfish Giant’s Garden is based on Oscar Wilde’s famous fairy tale about a giant who learns it’s never too late to share. The production features lathe-turned wooden marionettes. The puppet’s simple wooden surface is left so children can use their imagination. The hair is made of rope, the eyes of shiny brads. The string puppet children are round and smooth while the Giant is boxy and rough. The musical show contrasts selfishness and sharing. How does a Selfish Giant learn to share?
Recommended for 4+.
Run time of approximately 45 minutes.
- Ingrid and Mollie present: Jennie the Cat: A Halloween Adventure | October 18 - November 3, 2025
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Ingrid and Mollie present: Jennie the Cat: A Halloween Adventure
October 18 - November 3, 2025When Jennie the cat receives a Halloween card that calls her a scary cat, she feels like she’s been put in a box. Does she have to be scary? Join Jennie as she meets new friends with some spectacular tricks and treats to share, like skateboarding, shadow puppetry, and pumpkin carving.
Who will Jennie choose to be?This show features cuddly puppets, audience interaction, and all original music.
Recommended for 4-8.
Run time of approximately 45 minutes.
- Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins | December 11 - December 22, 2025
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Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
December 11 - December 22, 2025Hershel just wants to celebrate Hanukkah with the community, but the Queen and King of the Goblins have forbidden the lighting of the candles. Can Hershel save the day and lift the curse for this shtetl (village)?
Script by Stephen Laughton. Original book written by Eric Kimmel and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Puppets by Elizabeth Dapo.
Recommended for 5+.
Run time of approximately 60 minutes.
Tickets coming soon!
- The 37th Annual Nutcracker | November 28 - December 31, 2025
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The 37th Annual Nutcracker
November 28 - December 31, 2025Join the Puppet Co. for our 37th annual The Nutcracker! This time honored seasonal celebration includes Tchaikovsky's familiar story of Clara and her prince, with some Puppet Co. nursery rhyme spin.
Originated by the founding team of Allan Stevens, Christopher Piper, and MayField Piper and the music of the Arlington Symphony Orchestra.
Recommended for 4+.
Run time of approximately 60 minutes
Tickets coming soon!
ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC
- Not Your Mother’s Goose! | October 3 - November 2, 2025
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Not Your Mother’s Goose!
October 3 - November 2, 2025A World Premiere Comedy written by Michael J. Bobbitt and Sandra Eskin
Based on traditional English nursery rhymes
Directed by Serge SeidenNot Your Mother’s Goose! is a high-energy, laugh-out-loud romp through Gooseville, where nursery rhymes come to life—and fall apart in the most delightful way! When Hickory the clock-mouse ditches his post, the enchanted Tickety-Tock Clock grinds to a halt, unleashing chaos: time unravels, day turns to night without warning, and rain refuses to fall. With the 100th Annual Peter Pumpkin Eater Harvest Festival at stake, it’s up to the ever-rhyming Mother Goose, the mischievous Itsy-Bitsy Spider, precocious Jack, contrary Mary, and a lovable cast of nursery rhyme characters to restore order. Full of clever wordplay, wild schemes, magical mishaps, and heartwarming lessons about friendship and community, Not Your Mother’s Goose! is a fast-paced theatrical adventure that turns childhood classics upside down—and right-side up again.
- Frosty The Snow Man | November 26, 2025 – January 11, 2026
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Frosty The Snow Man
November 26, 2025 – January 11, 2026by William Francis
Directed by Danny TippettDo you want to build a snow man? How about watching him spring to life in front of you for one day of adventures before he melts away? In this merry wintertime romp, chock-full of chuckles and comic antics, Frosty gallops into the hearts of kids and adults alike- even the heart of one skeptical cop– through his uproarious antics.
- Freckleface Strawberry The Musical | February 13 – March 29, 2025
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Freckleface Strawberry The Musical
February 13 – March 29, 2026Music and Lyrics by Gary Kupper
Book by Garry Kupper & Rose Caiola
Based on the Books Written by Julianne Moore and Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Conceived for the Stage by Rose Caiola
Directed by Shanara GabrielleFreckleface Strawberry The Musical, based on the beloved New York Times best-selling book by celebrated actress, Julianne Moore, is a fun and touching family musical. Freckleface Strawberry will do anything to get rid of her freckles – from scrubbing them with soap to caking on makeup… and even wearing a ski mask to school! Will her schoolmates realize that it’s her under the mask? Will Freckleface be brave enough to finally face her complexion in the mirror? With the help of her loveable schoolmates, including an amazingly talented ballerina, a cutie jock, a charming ditz and a totally kooky teacher, Freckleface learns that everyone is different – and that’s what makes everyone special.
- Aesop’s Fables | April 24 - May 24, 2026
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Aesop’s Fables
April 24 - May 24, 2026By Mike Kenny
Directed by Ray FiccaAesop’s Fables is a vibrant, theatrical adventure that brings timeless tales to life with wit, warmth, and whimsy. Adapted by acclaimed playwright Mike Kenny, this fast-paced production features a lovable troupe of traveling storytellers—Wolfie, Syd, Harriet, and Barry—who use humor and imagination to retell five classic fables: The Tortoise and the Hare, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Wind and the Sun, The Lion and the Mouse, and The Wolf and the Jackdaw. Each story delivers a valuable life lesson on patience, honesty, kindness, and perseverance, making it a delightful experience that entertains while inspiring young audiences to think, feel, and grow.
- Sleeping Beauty: The Time Traveler | June 18 - August 23, 2026
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Sleeping Beauty: The Time Traveler
June 18 - August 23, 2026Book by Janet Stanford
Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma
Lyrics by Andrea Dodds
Directed by Janet StanfordRolly’s ordinary summer takes an extraordinary twist when he’s whisked back in time to the Age of Charlemagne! There, he meets Aurora, a bold 12-year-old princess with dreams of knighthood and adventure beyond her castle walls. But her overprotective royal parents have other plans—thanks to a mysterious curse that threatens to plunge her into a century-long sleep. As Rolly and Aurora plot a daring escape to the modern world, secrets are revealed, destinies collide, and the past and present merge in an epic journey filled with courage, friendship, and a dash of magic. Can they outsmart fate and find their happily ever after?
Both the Puppet Co. and Adventure Theatre offer sensory-friendly and/or ASL showing of their productions. In fact, the Puppet Co. was included in Bethesda Magazine's 2024 Best of Bethesda Issue as a "Best Place to Take Kids with Mobility or Sensory Issues."
Covid-19 Information:
The Puppet Co. policies can be found here.
Adventure Theatre policies can be found here.
Learn more about Adventure Theatre MTC's residency at Glen Echo Park here.
Learn more about the Puppet Co.'s residency at Glen Echo Park here.
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