“What does it mean if you integrate theatre that early in a child’s life so it becomes something you do, so it becomes the fabric of what you do and something that you want to participate in and makes you feel good?” asked director Carole Higgins in an interview regarding her production of Dot and Ziggy with Carousel Theatre for Young People.
Created by Linda Hartzell and Mark Perry, Dot and Ziggy falls under the category of theatre for the very young. The gentle and immersive storytelling experience took place in an intimate studio space at Carousel Theatre. During the show, toddlers and babies were encouraged to move around and interact with the performers as they experience theatre, puppetry and song. With genius simplicity, the script explored the burgeoning friendship of a ladybug and a skunk who live side by side but have nothing in common. Both of the creatures have trouble sharing but with some help and understanding, they embrace kindness and sharing in order to make everyone happy. The small ensemble featured award winning actors Kayla Dunbar and Dustin Freeland with a lighthearted musical underscore performed by CJ McGillivray.
The production ran almost every morning from June 2nd to June 14th, 2015 at Carousel Theatre on Granville Island. The production was nominated for Outstanding Production in the category of Theatre for Young Audiences at the 2016 Jessie Richardson Awards.
CJ McGillivray 