This July, prominent children’s theatre groups CATCO is Kids and Columbus Children’s Theatre are brewing something big. For the first time in history, they will be joining forces to deliver a performance of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, May 7-24, 2020.
“This is a big step, it’s a very cool thing,” says Sarah Mills Bacha, press representative of CATCO is Kids. “It’s a collaboration of two premiere arts groups, which is extremely important.”
CATCO is Kids and Columbus Children’s Theatre are working toward a lasting, genuine alliance. Leaders of both organizations are committed to bring a production more vibrant and intuitive than their individual projects could ever aspire to be.
“Columbus Children’s Theatre has a new executive director and she reached out to me about two years and three months ago,” says Joe Bishara, associate producing director of CATCO is Kids. “That’s when the conversation first began.”
“At first they were just conversations,” Bishara continues. “We wanted to make sure we didn’t create redundancy for the community and instead bring something entirely unique to Ohio. You don’t need to go to Chicago or L.A, there is quality Ohio theatre here.”
Though these two organizations are seemingly competitors, Bishara disagrees.
"That’s the beauty of Matilda; I think it’s accessible for all ages.” - Joe Bishara
“They tried to say we were competitors,” says Bishara. “I don’t feel like that’s the case. Like I said, all we are trying to do is bring something even larger to Ohio. We figured, why don’t we pool our resources to see how much better we can make it together?”
For Bishara, theater is more than just entertainment. It is also about curing ailments that afflict younger generations.
“People are forgetting how to communicate. I think people are relying completely on texting, snapchatting,” says Bishara. “The art of clear, daily oral communication is gone.”
According to Bishara, theater “increases one’s ability to communicate effectively and confidently. It helps people grow and helps them work on their relationships.”
As for the musical, Matilda is a story about an extraordinary girl who uses her unique powers, love of reading and bravery to teach us an important lesson – anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
CATCO is Kids and Columbus Children’s Theatre specifically chose this musical to broadcast this message to all of central Ohio. Since its premiere on London’s West End in 2011 and on Broadway in 2013, Matilda has captivated audiences of all ages.
“It’s also just an amazing story,” says Bishara. “It just provides [audiences] an opportunity to see the genius that is Roald Dahl. That’s the beauty of Matilda; I think it’s accessible for all ages.”
All performances will be held in the Shedd Theatre, Columbus Performing Arts Center in May of 2020.
Emile Lin is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
