Get ready to enjoy storybooks in a whole new way! Midcoast Literacy, a non-profit organization that provides free literacy tutoring to people of all ages, announces a free, live Readers Theater performance of two children’s books to be streamed online next month.

The event will be held one time only on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. It will feature local professional actors reading “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes and “Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree” by Robert Barry. To watch the fun with your children, viewers will need an online performance link which you can get by going to www.midcoastliteracy.org or by contacting Midcoast Literacy at admin@midcoastlit.org.   

“We are thrilled to be trying out a new way to share children’s literature with families in the towns we serve,” said Don Lader, Midcoast Literacy’s Executive Director. “Originally, we had planned to launch our first-ever Readers Theater performance as a live, in-person event. Now, having made accommodations for the pandemic, we think this online version will be just as entertaining.”

The Readers Theater production will feature actors performing all the parts in the two books over Zoom, using lots of fun voices and expressions to immerse the audience in the stories. The books featured are both children’s classics, full of delightful characters. In “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,” a young mouse is so excited about school and learning with her teacher, Mr. Slinger, until her eagerness to share her new purse gets her in trouble in the classroom. In “Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree,” a huge fir tree delivered to Mr. Willowby’s elegant house ends up bringing surprising cheer to all sorts of families in the neighborhood, from big to very tiny.

“We are hoping this will be just the first of many annual Midcoast Literacy Readers Theater productions,” said Lader. “Sharing great books with kids and getting them excited about reading is a core part of our mission. Making the stories come alive is all the more special.”

During the online event, donations will be accepted to support Midcoast Literacy’s Read Together program, which provides free, one-on-one tutoring for students ages 6-14 who are reading below grade level. To RSVP and receive the link to this one-time-only show, you must register in advance through www.midcoastliteracy.org.  

Midcoast Literacy is a non-profit organization based in Bath that has been providing free literacy programs to people of all ages in Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and northern Cumberland counties for 50 years. Through a wide range of Family Literacy and Adult Literacy programs, the dedicated staff and volunteers strive to help children and adults develop their literacy skills, so they can succeed through all stages of life.