Review of Babe, the Sheep Pig at Adventure Theatre
by Jenn Robinson
June 29, 2008

7300 MacArthur Boulevard
Glen Echo, MD 20812
301.634.2270
Google Map

The OK review team consisted of a seven year old girl and two five year old boys and we thoroughly enjoyed Babe the Sheep Pig! The story is a sweet tale of a pig that is bought by a farmer who intends to fatten him up and eat him. While on the farm, Babe is “adopted” by Fly, the farmer’s sheep dog who teaches Babe the tricks of the trade. While not giving away the plot, the show teaches us that everyone (and thing) is worthy of respect and kindness and that you really do get more flies with honey than vinegar.

The younger kids might find it a little hard to follow the story in the beginning because of the strong accents the actors use, but Babe and Fly’s conversations and narrations are very easy to understand and follow. There are even opportunities for audience participation and plenty of chances for kids to applaud. The music that accompanied the show was not too loud, although at times the “sinister” music that played right before something bad was going to happen caused the boys to cover their ears. There is one scene in which wolves kill the eldest sheep in the flock. I thought I might get away with telling the kids that the sheep was just hurt, but Fly quickly pointed out that the sheep was in fact dead.

I found the play to be laugh out loud funny with a cast of characters that really know their trade. There were plenty of puns that went over the kids head but were easily understood by the adults. The show lasted about 45-50 minutes, and towards the end some of the younger kids started getting fidgety and chatty.

Tickets are $12/person for ages 1 and up, and theater-goers are given stickers instead of tickets which the kids thought was cool. The theater is very kid-friendly. I didn’t see any signs prohibiting eating or drinking, and I observed children eating crackers and drinking juice. An added bonus is the basket of crayons/pens and mazes/coloring pages available as you enter the theater to help with the waiting.

The theater itself is not that large compared to others in the area, but the seating was stadium- like so you don’t have to worry about someone’s head blocking your view. There are unisex bathrooms with Koala Kare stations right as you walk in the main entrance. The theater itself cannot accommodate strollers (even of the umbrella-type). There is a reserved front row for handicapped seating but it is basically on the stage so a stroller would be in the way.

There is plenty of parking at Glen Echo. The only downside is you have to walk through all the fun stuff at the park to get to the theater. It was a tough sell convincing my kids that we would do all the rides and games after the show, but it worked out fine. We ended up making a day of it at the park and everyone had a good time.

Additional Notes:

• Purchase your tickets online, $12/person, ages 1 and up. There is a $1.50 fee per ticket when purchased online. Call 301.634.2270 to purchase tickets through the box office.
• Babe, the Sheep Pig runs through August 3, 2008 on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am and 1:30pm.
• July 12 & 13 is Grandparents Weekend. Adventure Theatre welcomes grandparents and their grandchildren to enjoy a performance of Babe, the Sheep Pig and receive a special BABE coloring sheet.
• July 18 (special 7pm show), 19 & 20 is Celebrate Adoption Weekend. Adoptive families are invited to celebrate with orphan pig, Babe as he finds love with a new family. Families are also encouraged to enjoy the Carousel as well as the picnic area before or after the show.
• July 26 special event brings Squeals on Wheels Petting Zoo to Adventure Theatre from noon to 2:30pm. Kids will get the chance to pet goats, sheep, ducks, ponies, donkeys, pigs, bunnies, chickens and hens.

OK Reader Comments:

"We just saw Babe, the Sheep Pig this past weekend. I am a HUGE fan of Adventure Theatre but must admit that this show while enjoyable does have some negative aspects that I would have liked to have known about before the show. My kids (6 1/2 and 2 1/2 did enjoy the show so these are more mommy issues than kids issues)! The first is the use of the word stupid - it is used repetitively to describe the pig and other animals and I just think that some kids might miss the bigger point and see the use of the word stupid to describe someone as OK. I did have a moment of pride when my 6 1/2 year old said that they weren't being nice but still. The other big issue is not so much that one of the sheep get killed it's that right after the farmer appears with a gun. Now I am not so naive as to think that farmers don't have guns but I just can't think of a single situation that involves an audience of children where guns are appropriate. Plus they could have not had a gun and it still would have made sense to all. My only other issue would be that while I applaud the art form and staying true to the story, in my experience the audience at Adventure (actually at most places) is younger than it should be so they could have gotten rid of all the scary aspects of the play and still had a great production. There is a brief scene with sheep stealers where the characters run around with bats screaming causing many of the audience members to cry - really? - not needed. But all that said, I love taking my kids to live shows that are done so well but I do think that the OK reviewer glossed over some things. If I had just taken my 2 1/2 (who gets dragged everywhere) I don't know that I would have chosen this show - it was sweet but there were lots of not so sweet scenes - and a Tiny Tots Tuesday at the Puppet Theatre would have been more her speed." - Megan D.

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