The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
La Oruga Muy Hambrienta Espectáculo
A Bilingual Production

April 25 thru May 24, 2021
Thank you for joining us! We hope to see you at a future Metro Theater Company production.

Based on the books by Eric Carle
Created by Jonathan Rockefeller

“Bedazzling! Will mesmerize audiences!” – The New York Times

Live Performances, Outdoors, and Safe — With a Virtual Viewing Option* As Well!
A bilingual English/Spanish production. For all ages. The performance is approximately 60 minutes with no intermission.

He's enchanted generations of readers since he first began nibbling his way to our hearts in 1969. Now, everyone's favorite caterpillar takes the stage in a dazzling, critically acclaimed production – featuring a menagerie of more than 75 larger-than-life, magical puppets. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is joined by friends from three other iconic Eric Carle picture books: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, and The Very Lonely Firefly. Revisit these timeless classics with the young people in your life and dive into a music-filled, big, bright, colorful world filled with transformation and discovery. This English-Spanish bilingual production will be a joy for language learners of every age!

“Five stars. Beautiful, rhythmic, and faithful to the author’s works.” - Time Out

Themes of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show: puppetry, music, STEAM, metamorphosis, Spanish language, color, happiness, fun, verbal audience participation

Presenting Sponsor
John and Carolyn Peterson Foundation

Additional Support From
Missouri Humanities Council

Registration for The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show has ended.

In-Person, Outdoor Seating Pods range from $56 for two people to $180 for 8 people.
Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 East Monroe Avenue, Kirkwood, MO 63122.

Virtual Streaming* is $20. Available for single screen, single household viewers in Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan. Morning, afternoon, and evening on demand streaming options are available.


Streaming Performances
Daily, April 28 through May 24. Morning (9 am to 1 pm CDT); Afternoon (1 to 5 pm CDT); and Evening (5 to 9 pm CDT) viewing periods available.

Past In-Person Performances
Sun, April 25 at 1 and 3 pm
Wed, April 28 at 10:30 am and 1 pm
Thur, April 29 at 10:30 am and 1 pm
Fri, April 30 at 3 pm and 5:30 pm
Sat, May 1 at 10:30 am and 1 pm (Audio Description available at the 1 pm performance)
Sun, May 2 at 10:30 am and 1 pm
Wed, May 5 at 10:30 am and 1 pm
Thur, May 6 at 10:30 am and 1 pm
Fri, May 7 at 3 pm and 5:30 pm (ASL interpreter at the 5:30 pm performance)
Sat, May 8 at 10:30 am and 1 pm
Sun, May 9 at 10:30 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm
Tue, May 11 at 5:30 pm
Wed, May 12 at 10:30 am and 1 pm (The 10:30 am performance is sensory-friendly.)
Thur, May 13 at 10:30 am and 1 pm
Fri, May 14 at 3 pm and 5:30 pm
Sat, May 15 at 10:30 am and 1 pm (The 1 pm performance is reserved for a special alumni event only.)
Sun, May 16 at 10:30 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm
Fri, May 21 at 3 pm and 5:30 pm
Sat, May 22 at 10:30 am and 1 pm
Sun, May 23 at 10:30 am and 1 pm
Monday, May 24 at 5:30 pm

Opening Week Special
In-Person Seating Pods, Pay-What-You-Can April 28-30 (SOLD OUT)
Pay-What-You-Can Streaming April 28-30

*Metro Theater Company is grateful to Rockefeller Productions and Eric Carle for the license to digitally stream this production to audiences across nine states in our region - Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan. We regret any inconvenience for audiences outside of this region, but encourage you to look for a local production of this extraordinary play at a theater near you in the next few years.

Your health and safety are our first priorities. So, we’ve changed the way live audiences will experience the show to mitigate COVID exposure risks for our patrons. Don’t worry, these new protocols will only help you enjoy the show more by improving your peace of mind and not get in the way of the magic of a single moment.

Moving the production outdoors was our biggest step, given CDC guidelines about risks associated with interior recirculated airflow. Our outdoor seating is organized in socially-distant pods, keeping all patron family groups at least 6 feet apart from each other during the performance. (If multiple families are sharing the same “bubble” and sitting together, please buy your pod together. We cannot seat two different purchasing households in the same pod.) Programs will be digital-only and sent out via email in advance of each performance. Ticketing will also be contactless, so it is important that you bring your ID as your ID must match the information of the ticket buyer. Per our Missouri Arts Council ArtSafe certification, mask wearing will be required for all patrons ages 2 and up. (Our actors will be masked too.) And per city of Kirkwood regulations, temperature checks will be required upon entry.

If, after purchasing a ticket for a live performance, your health conditions change or you would prefer to exchange into a virtual streaming ticket instead, we are happy to accommodate that exchange up until 30 minutes before showtime.

The Cast (in alphabetical order)

RED BIRD, SEAL & OTHERS, Jamie McKittrick
LONELY FIREFLY & OTHERS, Hailey Medrano
CATERPILLAR & OTHERS, Gaby Rodriguez

Production Team
DIRECTOR, Julia Flood
STAGE MANAGER, Jimmy Bernatowicz
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER / OFFSTAGE PERFORMER, Eleanor Humphrey
STAGE CREW, Molly Burris
PUPPETRY COACH, Jamie McKittrick
SPANISH LANGUAGE COACH / DRAMATURG, Gaby Rodriguez
PRODUCTION MANAGER/TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, Erik Kuhn
SOUND CONSULTANT, Rusty Wandall
MASTER ELECTRICIAN, Jayson M. Lawshee
SCENIC PAINTER, Cristie Johnston
CARPENTERS, Alex Benos, Jacob Cange, and Christoffer E. Ware
WARDROBE ASSISTANT, Dorathy L. Johnston
ORIGINAL PRODUCTION CONCEIVED AND CREATED BY, Jonathan Rockefeller
BASED ON BOOKS BY, Eric Carle
MUSIC AND SOUND, Nate Edmondson
SCENIC DESIGN, David Goldstein
PUPPETS, Rockefeller Productions
BUILDERS AND FABRICATORS, Arlee Chadwick, Jessica Lorence, and Acheson Walsh

The Novel Neighbor
Enhance your child’s experience of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show! The Novel Neighbor, a wonderful and welcoming independent bookstore in Webster Groves, has curated a special collection of picture books, board books, coloring books, activity books, puzzles, toys, and more that celebrate the World of Eric Carle and the curiosity of young people! A portion of the sales from everything on Metro Theater Company’s Virtual Merchandise Stand goes to support MTC’s mission of creating professional theater, fostering inclusive community, and nurturing meaningful learning through the arts. Thank you for your support!

Red Latina, Media Partner

Metro Theater Company is happy to have Red Latina as a media partner of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. Red Latina is the leading Spanish-bilingual biweekly newspaper in metropolitan St. Louis and surrounding areas, reaching 70,000 readers monthly in print and online. Red Latina was founded in 2000. Check out Red Latina's coverage of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show in the April-Spring 2021 issue (pages 36-39) or online.

Operation Food Search
We are honored to partner with Operation Food Search! Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search (OFS) is a hunger relief organization that provides free food, nutrition education, and innovative programs proven to reduce food insecurity. With a strategic focus aimed at ending childhood hunger, OFS empowers families and increases access to healthy and affordable food. The agency provides food and services to 200,000 individuals on a monthly basis – one-third of whom are children – through a network of 330 community partners in 27 Missouri and Illinois counties and the city of St. Louis. Metro Theater Company is hosting an OFS food drive during the run of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. Bring non-perishable food items to any of our in-person performances at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center and place them in the marked blue barrels. Thank you for helping heal the hurt of hunger.