The restaging of two favorite interactive shows plus two familiar children’s stories are on the 2026-27 four-play schedule for the Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences.
“Our main objective for this season was stories that were familiar to people and productions that were,” said Drew Kambach, Northbrook Park District Visual and Performing Arts Manager. He noted that “The Tale of the Whale” and “Across the Sand” “are two original productions that we produced here at Northbrook within the last few years and were well-received. We are planning to do those again and put in some updates because we have our new studio theater space.”
The season also includes two well-known children’s stories, “Pete the Cat” and “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.”
“We like to pick shows that have an educational connection and interest for all ages,” Kambach explained.
The season opens Sept. 13-26 with “The Tale of the Whale,” directed by Jonathan Schmidt Chapman, who wrote the show with music by Sam Shankman.
“’The Tale of the Whale’ is an original piece of theater for 2-5-year-olds,” Chapman said. “The style is sensory interactive theater, so when the audience comes in it’s as if they’re boarding a ship.” The kids follow puppets designed as seagulls into the space.
“They board the ship for a seafaring adventure,” Chapman noted. “The story is loosely based on the biblical story of Jonah. A group of seafarers is traveling on the water. One of them gets swallowed by a giant fish and has to find his way out.”
The audience is actively part of the adventure. “At different points in the show they are asked to participate and help drive the story forward,” Chapman explained.
Chapman is also directing “Across the Sand,” April 10-25, which he also wrote with music by Ty Citerman.
“It is also a piece of interactive theater,” Chapman said. “It’s the third time we’re bringing it back to Northbrook Theatre. It’s a piece that tells the story of Passover — the Exodus story. The audience is seated at four tables that are initially designed to look like Passover Seder tables. Over the course of the show, they become tabletop stages. The story takes place in and around the audience at the tables.”
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A live band interacts directly with the audience at the tables to bring moments of the story to life. Throughout the performance, the audience plays a role.
Chapman noted that “Across the Sand” has become “a Northbrook tradition. It’s really lovely to see families come every year—families who celebrate Passover, families who celebrate Easter, families who are just interested in the story.”
“Pete the Cat” runs from Nov. 14-Dec. 6, directed by Kate Sullivan Coombs.
“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” runs from Feb. 6-28, directed by Ashley Laverty.
Kambach is confident that the new studio space will enhance the productions staged there. “The space is now built for theater performances where previously it was more of a multipurpose room with a stage in it,” he said. “We installed a new lighting grid. There’s a sound booth now. And we have more flexible seating options. We can extend the play space. There’s a lot of neat things we can approach, and we don’t even know all of them yet.”
Director Chapman is also excited about the possibilities of the new studio space, which he described as “flexible but also intimate. It’s a perfect space for introducing very young children to theater. It’s inviting. We can be right up close to the story. It also provides the ability to create an immersive environment.”
Kambach concluded that the Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences is a great way to introduce young children to theater.
“We really strive to have high-quality educational productions,” Kambach explained. “We approach everything from our youth to our community to our professional shows in the same manner with high-quality staff and passionate staff.”
Tickets to shows at the Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences are $18. For reservations, call (847) 291-2995 or visit nbparks.org/theatre.
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.