+ERBA: A FOREST IN THE CITY For Ages 4 and Up is Coming to Two River Theater

The award-winning Two River Theater will present performances of +Erba: A Forest in the City, developed by Compagnia TPO and Artistic Directors Francesco Gandi and Davide Venturini, beginning this week in the Marion Huber Theater from March 21 through March 28, 2026. 

Step into +Erba: A Forest in the City, an enchanting interactive performance where two dancers and your children co-create a vibrant, ever-changing world. One dancer sketches colorful homes and winding streets, while the other brings the earth to life with trees, insects, and lush green spaces. With breathtaking digital projections, their ideas spring from movement into a magical city that grows, shifts with the seasons, and welcomes children to add color, characters, and imagination. But when a towering factory threatens to chase nature away, young audiences help redesign a brighter, greener future—complete with a joyful “tree concert.”

“There’s a wonderful saying in the theater: ‘Nobody goes to the theater for the first time, somebody takes them,’” says Artistic Director Justin Waldman. “Filled with music, dance, circus, lights, colors, and imagination, A Forest in the City is the PERFECT opportunity to take a little someone to the theater for the first time! We invite you to experience—and be a part of!—the joy and wonder of live performance.”

There will be free student matinee performances for area grade/grammar schools. As an extension of Two River’s Have a Seat program, these performances running March 18-19 and March 24-27 will be offered to school groups free of charge, continuing Two River’s dedication of accessible theater for everyone.

“Student matinees are a perfect way to introduce our youngest audiences to the theater,” says Director of Education Kate Cordaro. “This joyful interactive piece will be sure to captivate the ‘littles’ in the audience who will get to experience it with their peers, during the school day! It’s a win-win!”

Perfect for ages four and up, +Erba: A Forest in the City is a blend of creativity, sustainability, and play. 

+Erba: A Forest in the City is performed by with Běla Dobiášová and Valentina Consoli, and features Artistic Direction by Davide Venturini and Francesco Gandi; Engineering by Rossano Monti; Visual Design by Elsa Mersi; Music and Engineering by Francesco Fanciullacci and Federica Camiciola; Costumes by Annamaria Clemente; Props by Livia Cortesi; Collaboration on the Concept and Pedagogical Support by Sandra Goos; and Organization by Valentina Martini and Chiara Saponari, with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

For tickets and more information, visit: https://tworivertheater.org/whats-on/a-forest-in-the-city/
For FREE student matinee tickets, contact Alisha Sheth at 732.345.1400 x 1841.

SPONSORSHIP

Two River Theater’s 2025/26 Season Sponsor is Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center.  

Funding for our education programs comes in part by public support through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and from Investors Foundation, Manasquan Bank Charitable Foundation, OceanFirst Bank Foundation, and The Stone Foundation of New Jersey.  

Two River Theater is funded in part by public support through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the State of New Jersey, and the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners. Private support includes American Theatre Wing, Courtyard by Marriott, Edgerton Foundation, Grunin Foundation, Merrill G. & Emita E. Hastings Foundation, Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, MacMillian Family Foundation, Mary Owen Borden Foundation, Molly Pitcher Inn and The Oyster Point Hotel, Monmouth University, Open Heart Yoga, The Shubert Foundation, Triumph Brewing Company, Visiting Nurse Association of NJ Health Group, Zager Fuchs P.C., and other generous funders.