The characters from four children’s picture booksare coming to the stage in Bath this fall!Local nonprofit Midcoast Literacywill present a live Readers Theater performance on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Morse High School Auditorium. Before the show, starting at 1 p.m., there will be activities for kids inspired by the stories. For families with children ages 4-10, the one-hour performanceby local, professional actors will feature: "Miss Rumphius" by Barbara Cooney, "The Circus Ship" by Chris Van Dusen, "Grumpy Monkey Up All Night" by Suzanne Lang, and "The Leaf Thief" by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater. Tickets are $10 each or $35 for a family (4-8 people) and can be purchasedat www.midcoastliteracy.org or by calling (207) 443-6384. 

“We’re happy to be presenting another year of this fun, visually immersive event sharing the love of reading with families,” said Daniel Burson, Midcoast Literacy’s Executive Director.“Seeing the kids getting into the stories and then going further with the activities in the lobby at intermission is so special. We’re particularly thrilled be doing two Maine-themed books this fall.” 

Readers Theater is a style of live performance that blends the reading aloud of a book with theatrical elements. The cast of actors simultaneously narrates the story and brings added life to the characters through voice, expression, and movement. In "Miss Rumphius" by Barbara Cooney, Alice made a promise to make the world a more beautiful place, then a seed of an idea blossoms into a beautiful plan in this beloved Maine classic. In "The Circus Ship" by Chris Van Dusen, when a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the animals make their way to a small island where they encounter some surprised townspeople. In "Grumpy Monkey Up All Night" by Suzanne Lang, the sequel to New York Times bestseller "Grumpy Monkey," Jim Panzee is excited for a big sleep-overbut getsfrustrated when he doesn’t geteverythinghe wants. And in "The Leaf Thief" by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater, Squirrel is dismayed that one of thelovelyautumn leaves on his treeis missing; there must be a leaf thief on the loose! 

Midcoast Literacy’sOct. 4 Readers Theater event is sponsored by Renys, Bowdoin College and Bath Sunrise Rotary. All proceeds will support Midcoast Literacy’s Read Together tutoring program for children ages 6-14. To find out more about getting help with literacy skills, becoming a volunteer, or attending a future Readers Theater production, go to: www.midcoastliteracy.org  

Midcoast Literacy is a non-profit organization based in Bath that has been providing free tutoring and other literacy programs to people of all ages in Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and northern Cumberland counties for 55 years. Their programs include individualized tutoring for adults and school-age children; workplace literacy group classes for English language learners employed at local businesses; family literacy sessions for preschool and Pre-K families; and free children’s books for low-income families.