Children’s picture book characters are coming to the stage in Bath again this fall! On Saturday, October 4th, Midcoast Literacy will present our annual live Readers Theater performance from 2:00-3:00 PM at the Morse High School Auditorium in Bath.

Our 2025 Readers Theater will be a fun afternoon for families, starting before the show with creative activities for kids inspired by the books beginning at 1:00 PM. After the performance (starts at 2:00 PM), kids will have the opportunity to meet and interact with the actors. Pitched for families with children ages 4-10 (older or younger siblings are welcome too), the one-hour performance by local, professional actors will feature four books: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen, Grumpy Monkey Up All Night by Suzanne Lang, and The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming & Nicola Slater.. Tickets are $10 each or $35 for a family (4-8 people) and can be purchased at https://midcoastliteracy.org/index.php/about-us/readers-theater or by calling (207) 443-6384. “We’re happy to be presenting another year of this fun, visually immersive event sharing the love of reading with families,” said Daniel Burson, Midcoast Literacy’s Executive Director. “Seeing the kids getting into the stories and then going further with the activities in the lobby at intermission is so special. We’re particularly thrilled be doing two Maine-themed books this fall.” Readers Theater is a style of live performance that blends the reading aloud of a book with theatrical elements. The cast of actors simultaneously narrates the story and brings added life to the characters through voice, expression, and movement. In Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, Alice made a promise to make the world a more beautiful place, then a seed of an idea blossoms into a beautiful plan in this beloved Maine classic. In The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen, when a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the animals make their way to a small island where they encounter some surprised townspeople. In Grumpy Monkey Up All Night by Suzanne Lang, the sequel to New York Times bestseller Grumpy Monkey, Jim Panzee is excited for a big sleep-over but gets frustrated when he doesn’t get everything he wants. And in The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming & Nicola Slater, Squirrel is dismayed that one of the lovely autumn leaves on his tree is missing; there must be a leaf thief on the loose! Midcoast Literacy’s October 4th Readers Theater event is sponsored by Renys and Bowdoin College. All proceeds will support Midcoast Literacy’s Read Together tutoring program for children ages 6-14. Tickets can only be purchased from Midcoast Literacy, either online (https://midcoastliteracy.org/index.php/about-us/readers-theater) or over the phone. We hope to see you there!