Adam Theater’s “Library Lion” invites kids onto the mane stage
Cambridge's Adam Theater works to make plays more appealing for children.
At Adam Theater, children are the audience. That’s the point, says Cambridge resident Ran Bechor, who co-founded Adam Theater in 2023 with Karin Sharav Zalkind after noticing a gap in theater offerings for kids in Boston.
“When watching theater, kids can ask themselves who they identify with as they form their own identities in this world,” said Bechor, Adam Theater’s artistic director.
When a lion enters a library joining the children for story hour, library visitors ask:. “Are lions actually allowed in a library? What about the rules?” Based on the 2006 book by Michelle Knudsen, “Library Lion” explores why rules exist, and how to safely break them. This musical play features five actors, live musicians, and professional puppeteers. The production is geared toward children and they’re encouraged to cheer and laugh during the performance. “At Adam Theater we are more interested in uncovering the ‘why’ and ‘how’ as opposed to the ‘what’ in a story,” said Sharav Zalkind, the company’s executive director. “We want to expose the mechanism of the story to the kids. Many of the kids already know this story so we aren’t trying to shock them with plot. We want them to understand how it’s happening and seeing the show live is a great way for that to happen.”
After a successful run at the Boston Public Library in 2024, “Library Lion” will return to the stage in early 2026 at the Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts. It’s expected that over 2,500 kids will see additional matinee performances of the show during school hours for free, thanks to a grant from the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation.
By bringing kids to the show for free, Adam Theater is working to make theater more accessible. “We wanted to create an environment that gets kids excited about watching live theater,” Bechor said. “Kids need space to chart their own hero’s journey in the world.” Bechor hopes each kid can find at least one character in the show that they see themselves in.
Bechor has been working on writing and developing another play for Adam Theater to perform called “The Flood.” Based on the story of Noah’s Ark, “The Flood” follows two friends as one of them processes his parents’ divorce. Geared for upper-elementary school kids, this show explores the way adults talk to children about complex issues. He hopes to have the play in production in September, but has not yet confirmed a date.
Adam Theater’s Library Lion runs Weekends January 10th through 25th with additional performances on Monday January 19th. All performances are at the Calderwood Pavilion.
