Take a quick tour of Magical Moonshine's new "The Grasshopper and the Ant" paper theater production

Below the images is a SPOILER of the plot. Don't read it if you want to be surprised.

This performance may be unlike anything you have ever seen before. It is a recreation of Victorian toy or paper theatre. People have compared the beauty and miniature size of the show to a jewel; it sparkles with rich colors and a universal story. The performers have gone far beyond the simple Aesop's fable of the grasshopper and the ant to create a green-man cycle tale as in olden times, a story that takes the audience on a journey through the seasons, leading them to a new understanding of their own place in the cycle of nature.

Michael and Valerie's paper theatre shows have been enjoyed at various festivals in Europe and the U.S. Now it is your turn to be charmed by this intimate and lovely art form, presented by professionals with combined nearly 60 years experience in performances for family audiences.

READ WHAT OTHER PRESENTERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THIS SHOW.

Here the littlest fairy advises the Gnome Egg Rescue Team on getting the egg back into the nest. The background in this production varies from traditional paper theatre in that it is a fabric quilt, for ease of transporting (rolling it up.) All other scenery is paper. The backdrop scenery is 26 inches by 48 inches (for scale.) This show was designed for audiences sizes of 80-140 persons.

Gary the grasshopper meets Amy, the hardworking ant.

A dung beetle shares a conversation with Gary the grasshopper.

One of the Gnomes' jobs in the forest is the planting of mushrooms.

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In the play, grasshoppers make choices as they discover their purposes in life. Along the way they find advice and guidance from various animals.

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Above, a fairy leads a "preschool" of ladybugs, and Gary Grasshopper chats with Amy the Ant.

At the Winter Feast, the littlest fairy points to nearly frozen Gary the Grasshopper, telling the Queen of the fairies that he can play music on grass.

SPOILER ALERT: BELOW IS AN OUTLINE OF THE SCRIPT OF THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT.

Grasshopper and Ant PLOT SPOILER
If you want to be surprised when you see the show DON’T READ THIS. For those who want to check the suitability of this play for children, continue reading:

Enter Michael (performer) wearing green velvet “tails” coat, and Valerie (performer) in costume. Michael introduces Greenman (design on stage) and concept of Gnomes and Fairies (concept: have never actually seen real fairies or gnomes but have seen statues and pictures of them, and like the idea that they help take care of nature, which is the role they will play in our play.)
Michael plays dulcimer, Valerie sings.
Curtain open on spring nature scene. Fairies fly around opening flower buds. The littlest fairy notices an egg has fallen out of a bird nest and goes to find Gnomes to help put the egg back. A bee comes and feeds on flowers. Gnomes come with a ladder and with some difficulty get the egg back into the nest and exit.
Grasshoppers come in and one (Gary) discusses the purpose of life (how it must have something to do with grass, as they are GRASShoppers.) Other grasshoppers would rather play and leave.
An ant enters carrying food, and offers that the purpose of life is to store up food for the winter. Gary (the grasshopper ) is not convinced. Amy (the ant) tells Gary about winter. The ant leaves and Gary concludes that his purpose must lie elsewhere.
Michael comes out and plays a musical interlude while we watch a fairy-teacher with a preschool of ladybugs go by, and gnomes with a cart, planting mushrooms, aided by the littlest fairy.
Gary enters still wondering about grass, and the littlest fairy suggests he might be able to blow on it to make music. He tries and begins to succeed. He shows Amy the ant, but she is not convinced that playing music is more important than storing up food.
A grasshopper enters and tells Gary that today his purpose in life is to go fishing. Gary watches as he calls up a big fish who offers the grasshopper the chance to give up being a grasshopper and to be eaten by the fish and become part of the fish, swimming in the beautiful river, sleek and smooth. The grasshopper enthusiastically agrees and the fish takes the grasshopper into the water. Gary decides that his purpose is still to play music.
A caterpillar enters and is entranced by Gary’s grass music. She decides to build a coccoon while listening. Soon she emerges as a butterfly and thanks Gary for turning her into a butterfly. Gary doesn’t believe he actually did anything, but a dung beetle who was watching thinks that Gary has a fine purpose and convinces Gary that he can make things grow with his music. Gary happily begins to play to make things grow around him.
When Gary meets Amy again, she is skeptical that he can make things grow with his music, but he remains convinced. Later another grasshopper comes and wants to jump to the sky. He gets his chance when a bird comes and offers him the opportunity to be eaten and become part of a bird. The bird offers Gary the chance to come too, but Gary tells the bird that he must make music to make things grow. The bird agrees that that is a very important purpose.
The scenery changes to autumn during a musical interlude. Valerie sings lyrics about the change of seasons.
The autumn scene opens with the fairies clipping autumn leaves with snippers. Amy enters carrying food, and Gary is playing music. Gary admits that things don’t seem to be growing anymore when he plays his music. Amy tells him it is not his fault, but it is because it is fall when nature stops growing. She feels sorry for him having stored up no food and gives him some leaves to eat. She doubts she will see him again and sorrowfully says goodbye.
The scenery changes to snowy winter, with musical interlude and song. Curtain opens on the preparations for the Winter Celebration. The gnomes are bringing on stage the pavillion of the fairy queen. All of the winter animals come, including the ants. Amy sees Gary, all blue and freezing in the snow. The queen wants to know who he is and invites him to bring some food to the feast and join them. Gary is leaving, as he has no food to contribute when the littlest fairy points out to the queen that Gary can play music and make things grow. The queen questions Gary on this point, and he says he used to believe that he could make things grow but now doesn’t think so. The queen insists that he play, and when he does, the first green shoots of spring come up through the snow, starting the natural cycle all over.
The queen calls for a dance, and Gary, now as a limberjack (dancing folk puppet), is brought out by Valerie and dances a vigorous dance to the music of the dulcimer and harmonica (the harmonica being previously used to be the grass music that Gary played.)
End.