Play for babies at Toronto theatre is getting two thumbs up

Have you ever thought of taking your baby to the theatre? One Thing Leads to Another, a play created for infants from four months to two years, has returned to Young People’s Theatre.

“The way we keep their attention is that one thing has to lead to another,” said researcher and creative collaborator Maja Ardal.

“We cannot just do something that is bright and big — it has got to make sense. Babies will mirror everything they watch, hear and feel and they will mirror it inside their bodies and their entire system,” said Ardal.

“They will lose interest or get fidgety or even cry if what you are doing is just stupid and makes no sense.”

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This unique production received the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Performance, Ensemble earlier this year.

The show features the transformation of everyday objects into a wondrous experience for babies and their families.

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“It is marvelous to see the world through the eyes of a child again and to see the wonder of it,” said grandparent Charlotte Morgan.

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“What is happening in the field of science is a new discovery about how we learn when we are born, and that we learn incredibly fast and we learn through our entire neurological system,” said Ardal.

“So I have learned to take babies very seriously and to give them authentic work.”

In this play, performers interact with their young audience by using music, enticing visuals and tactile experiences.

“They are so receptive and they are so open to learning,” said performer and creative collaborator Audrey Dwyer.

“It is so important to meet them with generosity and openheartedness.”

When the show is over, children and their caregivers have additional play time to experiment with the objects from the play.

“I think a lot of people think it could not be done, you could not actually keep the attention of 30 children under two for close to an hour,” said Morgan.

“But they did it and it is very impressive.”