Get hands-on with Pete the Cat at the Center for Puppetry Arts

Pete the Cat will mark the Center for Puppetry Arts' latest brand new production this spring, April 4 - May 28! This faithful adaptation of the best-selling book series tells the groovy adventures of one cool, skateboarding, surfing, rocking blue cat and his fine friends. The Center for Puppetry Arts will celebrate the central themes of Pete the Cat with a series of special events during the run of the show.

Coming up first on Saturday, April 8, the Center will celebrate the opening of Pete the Cat with a book signing by author and illustrator duo Kim and James Dean. They will be set up in the atrium after the 12 p.m. show. Books will be available for purchase in the Museum Store or guests may bring their own to be signed from1:30-3:30 p.m.

On Saturday, April 15, Pete the Cat fans can get hands-on with robots! In the show, Pete makes a robot version of himself, and the Center for Puppetry Arts has teamed up with Atlanta company Hello Robo so patrons can make their own Robo Pete. Hello Robo's mission is to make personal robotics more accessible and affordable for everyone. They'll be on-site with robots to interact with and show kids how to build their own robot version of Pete the Cat, complete with instructions and a list of inexpensive parts that families can order online! For more information about Hello Robo, visit www.hello-robo.com.

The Center continues its sensory-friendly offerings on Sunday, April 23, with the 1 p.m. presentation of Pete the Cat. During this performance, the following alterations will be employed: theater lights dimmed down but not out, consistent sound levels and lower volume of show soundtrack, freedom for children to talk and to leave their seat if necessary, a quiet zone in the lobby and permission to bring quiet, contained snacks and beverages. These adjustments continue into the Museum and Create-A-Puppet Workshop™.

As young readers know, Pete loves riding his skateboard, and on Saturday, April 29, kids can too-without the safety risk. Kids can test their skills with a 4-inch scaled replica of a skateboard called a fingerboard. A few fingerboard experts will be at the Center demonstrating how children can do the coolest skateboard tricks using their hands. At the end of the demo, guests can enter to win a fingerboard to take home!

The Center for Puppetry Arts looks forward to welcoming families for these engaging events during the debut engagement of Pete the Cat! All of these events are included at no additional charge with an all-inclusive admission. The show is presented in the Mainstage Theater, April 4 - May 28. Reduced-price previews take place April 4 and 5. Show times are as follows:

April 4 - May 21
Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Saturday: Noon and 2 p.m.
Sunday: 1p.m. and 3 p.m.

May 23 - May 28
Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. and Noon
Saturday: Noon and 2 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Tickets $10.25 (Members) and $20.50 (nonmembers) and include admission to the show, the Worlds of Puppetry Museum (with the largest collection of Jim Henson puppets and artifacts in the world as well as a Global Gallery), and entrance to the Create-A-Puppet Workshop™, where guests can make and decorate their own Pete the Cat Hand Puppet and perform with it on our classroom stage. Tickets can be purchased online at www.puppet.org or by calling 404.873.3391.

Photo Credit: Darrell Hazelrig