Families seeking a fun-filled weekend field trip with their young kids need look no further than the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center.
On Saturday, October 5, E & M Presents brings two live performances of “Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch,” a puppet, text and music-filled play based on Irene Spinelli’s award-winning children’s book of the same name. The play is adapted for stage and performed by Axis Theatre based in Vancouver, BC.
Shows take place at 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm with the opportunity to meet Mr. Hatch after each show. A Spanish translation of the text will be available on site for no charge.
Kids ages 3 – 11 are free with adult tickets at $15 each. For more information, visit: EandMPresents.com, email evywar@gmail.com or call 707-501-8567.
“Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch” is set in a friendly, quaint town in the 1940s. Mr. Hatch (portrayed as a puppet), is a tall, thin, lonely man who works a simple but important job -- attaching aglets to shoelaces at a factory. He leads a predictable and dreary life, often spending time alone. He lacks the confidence or desire to make or keep friends.
One day out of the blue, everything changes. On Valentine’s Day,Mr. Hatch receives a heart-shaped package with a pink bow containing an anonymous message that reads, “Somebody loves you.” The small world of Mr. Hatch is turned upside down.
With the help of washerwomen Betsy, Edna and Molly (actors and puppeteers), he begins to make friends, enjoy all kinds of delicious food and experience the fun parts of life that he once ignored. Mr. Hatch ultimately goes on a search to find his secret admirer and discovers that he is loved after all!
Axis Theatre was founded in 1976 by a collective of professionally-trained mime artists. Its plays blend clowning, Comedia del arte, live music, movement and puppetry into original works. Each script is crafted to cater to specific age groups, ranging from preschool to high school, enabling the company to engage broad and inherently diverse audiences in a single location.
Axis Theatre performances are designed to entertain and foster artistic expression, encourage positive communication and inspire active participation among attendees. Productions embody principles of equity, inclusion, and relevant social themes, reflecting a commitment to a more inclusive and empathetic society.
Chris McGregor, a 30-year veteran of Axis Theatre and director of “Mr. Hatch,” loves the messages of community, friendship, change and love that are inherent in the story.
“The world needs to hear these messages, and the more we share
these, I feel the better our world will be,” he said.
Evy Warshawski, Co-Director of E & M Presents, has been working for many years on finding work appropriate for younger children and introducing them to the joys of live theater in a professional setting. The artistry of Axis Theatre, a company committed to shows for young audiences, has 65 original productions under their belts and presents finely-tuned, collaborative work that all ages will appreciate.
Very special thanks to local community supporters who help make possible the presentation of shows like “Mr. Hatch”: Napa County Arts & Culture Grants; Community Projects; Arts Council Napa Valley; The Doctors Company; Mechanics Bank; The Gasser Foundation; and Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine.