Treehouse Shakers Bring HATCHED to Flushing Town Hall

On Sunday, September 14, Flushing Town Hall will present Treehouse Shakers' Hatched. This delightful interactive play experience for children aged 1-6 is a wonderful first introduction to theater for the youngest audience members.

Hatched, written and directed by Mara McEwin, artistic director of Treehouse Shakers, is the original performance of a newborn chick emerging from her shell at sunrise to a strange and busy world. Performed through movement, handcrafted puppets, and very little human dialogue, the story is set amidst an American family farm. The chick is met by a feisty old rooster, a wobbly calf learning to walk, a gaggle of dancing chicks, a lamb, and a noisy nest of baby birds.

Intimately staged, young audience members are encouraged to interact with the newborn “animals” as they explore their worlds. Through movement and music, the calf learns to walk, the baby birds attempt to fly, and the lamb makes a new friend with the curious hatched chick. 

Hatched engages children through a unique hands-on approach to theater. Children interact and play with the characters on stage; they give the chicks their feed, milk bottles to the lamb, are licked by the cow, and feed worms to the baby birds. Babies in the audience will be enticed by the animal sounds and textures, while toddlers will love watching and imitating their favorite farm animals as they come to life. Preschoolers will enjoy learning about life on the farm, and older kids will be entertained by the charming storytelling, live music and dance. Hatched is a beautiful tale, told through exquisite visuals, music, and the exploration of baby animals on the farm for the whole family.

“Treehouse Shakers' productions are always so special to us, and we love presenting them as often as possible,” says Ellen Kodadek, Executive and Artistic Director of Flushing Town Hall. “After Mara and her fantastic team brought the beach to Flushing with Sail Away this summer, we are thrilled to welcome the group back for a perfect fall farm story for young kids. We know Hatched with its adorable farm animals will be a lot of fun for all ages!”

After the play, Mara McEwin will lead families in a hands-on farm-themed puppetry and storytelling workshop, sure to engage even the youngest of family members. Participants will make simple stick puppets that tie into the characters from the performance of Hatched. Through storytelling with simple stories, nursery rhymes, and songs, toddlers and preschoolers will have a chance to use their own voice, body, and imagination. Young people will also be invited to play along with their newly made puppets. For nearly 30 years, Mara has been leading arts workshops for very young children across the country.

"Solidifying our role in the American theater, we were the first U.S. company to tour a dance-play specifically for babies,” says Mara McEwin, Treehouse Shakers' Artistic Director and Writer, Director and Creator of Hatched. “I created Hatched, an immersive theater experience about life on the farm in 2011 and premiered it on tour in 2012. Hatched remains one of our most well-known and booked works."

Since its beginnings, Treehouse Shakers has been the artistic leader in creating work for the very early years. Now in its 28th season, the company has created over 20 original dance-plays for young audiences. The theater group is particularly known for its works for babies, including Flutter (ages 6-18 months) and Sail Away (ages 18-24 months), which continue to captivate audiences nationwide.