The world of young people in the United States today is exhilaratingly global, enriched by the influences of many various cultures. With that, however, comes the need for children to retain confidence in their own heritage while empathizing with people who might seem very different from them. The protagonists of these four plays--written for the world-renowned Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis--strive to achieve that balance with determination, love, and humor.

The richness and relevance of these plays lie in their complex portraits of diversity and cultural collision. In...

Young children love to explore their world through drama--characters, dialogue, story arcs, and props are all standard elements of a child's play. It is no surprise then that professional theatre has long been regarded as a way to support children's social-emotional, cognitive, and creative development. Increasingly, there is an international interest in theatre for very young audiences, and the Wall Street Journal reported on a "baby boom" in American theatre, with a marked upswing in the number of stage plays being written and produced for toddlers and...

Key Change: New Musicals for Young Audiences presents four groundbreaking musicals developed by Children's Theatre Company, widely regarded as the leading theatre of its kind in North America. These works embody singular styles and sounds, yet all represent the robust spirit of unique people finding their way in the world. They are all sure to entertain, including the Broadway hit A Year with Frog and Toad.

The quirky Tale of a West Texas Marsupial Girl, by Lisa D'Amour, with music by Sxip Shirey, is set in a town unprepared to accept a girl born with a pouch....