The ninth annual Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, together feature nearly 200 productions in cutting-edge theater, dance, and music. Although the vast majority of the shows have adult themes, kids don’t need to be left out of the festival experience. One show catering to the little ones is the Valley Forge Children’s Theatre production of Wiley and the Hairy Man at the African-American Museum (September 3-11). In the eerie swamps and bogs of America’s Deep South, young Wiley must outwit a very scary and unusually hairy man three times in order to save both himself and his mother.
Another kid-friendly offering at the Fringe is Jeffrey Benoit’s Chariot of the Sun (the Actor’s Center, September 6-17). This fast-paced introduction to Greek mythology is performed by Barrymore-winning actor Seth Reichgott and employs a combination of masks, mime, poetry and lots of audience participation in recalling the ancient stories of Phaethon, Pandora, and Odysseus’ escape from the Cyclops.
