Creative Arts Theater is the city's resident professional children's theater company. The staff of six professional performers tour recreation centers and libraries with multiple performances at most sites. With a repertory of more than 125 shows, Creative Arts Theater's puppets run the gamut from hand puppets to nine-foot body puppets. Masks, live actors, original music, and dance are often integrated into the mixed media productions, which are usually based on children's literature. Recognized throughout the United States for their work with puppets, the company has performed for more than one million children and their families during the past 40 years.

Current Performances

The performances listed below are free and open to the general public. For more information, please call the Creative Arts Theater at (813) 931-2106.

	THE CUCUMBER PRINCESS A tiny girl magically hatches from an egg found in a dry cucumber field. She challenges a king in a contest of strength and will. This puppet show is inspired by an Aztec tales and is based on the book by Jan Wahl. Colorful costumes, puppets, masks and special effects create this delightful story from Mexico. This show is recommended for ages 5 and up.
Touring Dates
October 2	Town and Country Regional Library	7606 Paula Drive Suite 120
October 13	Keystone Recreation Center	17928 Gunn Highway, Odessa
October 7	Jimmie B Keel Library	2902 W Bearss Avenue
October 9	Temple Terrace Library	202 Bullard Parkway, Temple Terrace
October 16	Rey Park Center	2301 W Howard Avenue
October 19	78th Street Library	7625 Palm River Road
October 20	Lutz Library	101 Lutz Lake Fern Road
October 21	New Tampa Regional Library	10001 Cross Creek Boulevard
October 22	Desoto Park Center	2617 E. Corrine Street
October 27	Saunders Library	1505 N. Nebraska Avenue
October 28	Fendig Library	3909 W Neptune Street
October 29	John F. Germany Library	900 N. Ashley Drive

(Dates subject to change. Please confirm date by calling Creative Arts at 813-931-2106 )

	PETUNIA’S CHRISTMAS Charles goose is being fattened by his farmer for Christmas dinner. But when Cupid strikes the arrow at Petunia’s heart, she whips up some wonderful ways to set him free. This traditional hand puppet show is based on a heartwarming, seasonal tale of generosity and love struck geese.
Touring Dates
November 10	Seffner-Mango Library	410 N. Kingsway Road
November 16	Port Tampa Community Center	4702 W. McCoy Street
November 19	Kate Jackson Community Center	821 S. Rome Avenue
November 24	Wayne Papy Center	6925 N. Florida Avenue
December 1	Southshore Library	15816 Beth Shields Way, Sun City Center
December 2	College Hill Library	2607 E Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard
December 3	Bruton Memorial Library	302 W. McLendon Street, Plant City
December 8	Bloomingdale Library	1906 Bloomingdale Avenue, Valrico
December 9	Lutz Library	101 Lutz Lake Fern Road
December 11	North Tampa Library	8916 North Boulevard
December 14	Jan Platt Library	3910 S. Manhattan Avenue
December 15	Thonotosassa Library	10715 Main Street, Thonotosassa
December 16	Riverview Library	10509 Riverview Drive, Riverview

(Dates subject to change. Please confirm date by calling Creative Arts at 813-931-2106 )

Become a Storyteller!

Learn the art of story telling.  Instruction begins in January for children ages 5-18 at community centers located throughout the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County. Outstanding storytellers will be featured at the all day culminating festival on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the 30th Anniversary Tampa-Hillsborough County Festival.

Featured storytellers ETH-NOH-TEC is kinetic story theater that is at once precision choreography, lyrical word-weaving, graceful, playful and poetic. By layering ancient Asian mythologies, folktales and Asian urban legends with Asian American sensibilities, Eth-Noh-Tec has created an exciting new blend of storytelling and physical theater.

Dreamers Against Drugs Program

This highly acclaimed summer touring show features an anti-drug message.  It is performed by young actors, singers and dancers, 10-16 years old who also help write the show.  For more information regarding May auditions or having Dreamers perform for your group, contact Director David Jankiewicz at 813-931-2106.

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival engages people of all ages in the enjoyable pursuit of literature and nurtures the preservation of the oral tradition of storytelling. The festival takes place at Hillsborough High School, located 5000 N. Central Avenue.

The Festival provides an opportunity for inter-generational, multi-cultural interaction through story and exposure to nationally renown storytellers. Both children and adults receive training and actively participate in the ancient art of storytelling. This year's featured storyteller Eth-Noh-Tec, the festival also presents hundreds of school-aged Festival Quality Storytellers, regional storytellers of all ages, balladeers, puppets, storybook characters, and much more!