In New York, our children are being raised with a cultural world at their fingertips. Yet, somehow I always seem to find myself wondering why we aren’t enjoying more of the cultural excursions that NY has to offer?

I suppose it’s because the simple thought of taking my two sons, ages 5 and 3, to a Broadway production brings chills to my spine. The crowds, the dark theater, the fact that I know someone will have to use the potty in the middle of the show and we’ll have to interrupt the entire row of attendees to get out (and back in)…But the reality is that there are many terrific production companies specifically geared to introduce children to theater and create a lifelong appreciation for it.

One such company is Literally Alive, and Sunday we headed to the Village to attend their latest production, Beauty and the Beast. Designed for kids ages 3-10, we knew this production was our speed when we heard there was a workshop held before the show where the kids could make an art project. The project in this case included making a mask, and the children were simultaneously crafting and learning about theater. The playwright and producer, Brenda Bell, visited with the children and engaged them in some Q and A which taught them that theater is about acting out the boooks we might read at home, and that what we were about to watch was real people getting dressed in costumes and masks and acting out stories for entertainment.