By Natasha Parnian
When my nine-year-old leaned over to me mid-show and whispered, “Mom, I want to be in this,” I knew Adventure Theatre MTC had done something right. The opening night of Aesop’s Fables had that rare quality that the best theater for young audiences achieves: it made the kids in the room feel like they were part of something, not just observers. By the time the curtain came down, the only complaint in our row was that it was over.
Aesop’s Fables by Mike Kenny is built around a concept as old as theatre itself — a traveling troupe of players arrives to put on a show, and things don’t go entirely according to plan. Wolfie (the leader of the troupe) and her ragtag performers take the audience through five beloved fables: “The North Wind and the Sun,” “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Lion and the Mouse,” “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” and “The Wolf and the Crane.” Each fable is told simply and with energy, many inviting the audience directly into the action — a choice that paid immediate dividends with the opening-night crowd, who were more than happy to shout, clap, hush, and cheer on cue.
Director Ray Ficca demonstrates a confident, assured hand throughout. Working within the intimate confines of Adventure Theatre’s space, Ficca finds creative solutions at every turn — using levels, sightlines, and physical comedy to keep the energy kinetic. It occasionally veers into a more cacophonic energy, with moments where the full cast’s enthusiastic, high-volume delivery becomes a bit overwhelming (at least to the grown-ups in the audience). The call-and-response warm-up sequence that opens the show was a masterstroke: it primed the young audience to participate, set the tone of joyful collaboration, and established the performer-audience relationship that would carry the rest of the production. Ficca clearly trusts his ensemble, and that trust is visible in every scene.
That ensemble is exceptional. Susan Marie Rhea anchors the show as Wolfie, the troupe’s self-appointed leader, and she plays the role with exactly the right blend of authority and playfulness. Rhea has genuine stage presence — she’s the adult in the room, but she leads with warmth rather than weight, guiding both her fictional players and the real audience through the scripted chaos with a knowing smile. Ariel Friendly‘s Harriet is pure effervescence, although her performance at times feels screechy. She possesses, however, a natural, childlike quality that made her the ideal bridge between the world of the performers and the world of the children watching — every kid in the audience seemed to feel like Harriet was their person onstage. Carl L. Williams as Syd is a revelation in versatility: watching him shift from a delicate, long-necked crane to a broad, thundering lion within minutes is genuinely delightful — the kind of committed physical character work that takes real skill and makes it look effortless. Noah Mutterpearl rounds out the quartet as Barry, the troupe’s lovable disaster — never quite in the right place, never quite on cue, but always charming in his wrongness. What surprised me was a moment near the end where Mutterpearl dropped the comedy entirely and landed a quiet, honest beat of reflection that I found unexpectedly moving. It was a small moment, and it landed beautifully.
The design team deserves full credit. Megan Holden‘s set captures the storybook spirit of Aesop without being literal — incorporating levels for the performers to play on, cleverly concealed prop storage, and title signs that help younger audience members follow each fable. Paris Francesca‘s costumes are a triumph of practical ingenuity: minimalistic enough to transform quickly between characters, but specific enough that each new role reads clearly. This is exactly the right approach for children’s theater of this scale. Sound designer Kenny Neal contributes an inspired touch with live, actor-generated sound effects via musical instruments, giving the production an acoustic warmth that a soundboard simply couldn’t replicate.
There are a few well-placed Easter eggs for the grown-ups in the room — a West Side Story nod here, a Chariots of Fire throwback there — rewarding adult attention without alienating the kids. It’s a generous creative gesture, the kind that signals a production team thinking about everyone in the room.
It is worth pausing to note how timely this material feels right now. Honesty, humility, compassion, the consequences of deception — these are not small themes. In a cultural moment where children are absorbing so much noise and confusion from the world around them, there is something quietly radical about gathering them in a room and saying: kindness matters, truth matters, the small can help the mighty. Adventure Theatre deserves real credit for putting this particular show in front of young audiences right now. It is exactly what we need.
Aesop’s Fables is Adventure Theatre MTC doing what it does best: delivering professional-quality theater for young audiences that respects its audience at every age level. At just 40 minutes, it’s pitch-perfect in length, pitch-perfect in energy, and genuinely difficult to leave without a smile. My kids are already asking when we can go back. I don’t have a good argument for why we shouldn’t.
Running Time: 40 minutes, with no intermission.
Aesop’s Fables plays through May 24, 2026, at Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC), Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD. Tickets are $26 with group, field trip, and special party rates available. Purchase tickets online or call the box office at 301-634-2270.
For families and young audiences.
Aesop’s Fables
By Mike Kenny
Directed by Ray Ficca
CAST
Susan Marie Rhea: Wolfie
Noah Mutterperl: Barry
Ariel Friendly: Harriett
Carl L. Williams: Syd
Brenna Horner: Wolfie & Harriet U/S
Bryan Stopak: Syd & Barry U/S
CREATIVE TEAM
Megan Holden Set Designer
Kenny Neal: Sound Design
Paris Francesca: Costume Design
Lynn Joslin: Resident Lighting Design
Andrea “Dre” Moore: Resident Props Design
Natasha Parnian is the managing artistic director of Dark Horse Theatre Company, which she founded in Washington, DC, in 2009. She studied at UNC School of the Arts and has been active in the DC theater scene since 2005. She is a director, playwright, and producer known for her immersive staging and commitment to psychological realism. Beyond her theatrical experiments, Natasha owns two small businesses, leads corporate and educational workshops, but mostly enjoys life as a homeschooling mother, cross-country motorcyclist, and animal lover. She also serves as a performance strategist for TEDx and Toastmasters. She is a multifaceted artist dedicated to truth-telling and pushing the boundaries of the craft.
