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The adventurers brave the waves in “Ahoy.” -
Aimee LaRue of the Peterborough Town Library reads “Ahoy” to children before the show. -
The cast of “Ahoy” takes a bow. -
Guests arriving at the first-ever Saturday morning matinee at Andy’s. -
A child’s imagination transforms a living room into an adventure on the high seas in “Ahoy.” -
Andy’s Summer Playhouse has a record 100 participants this year. -
The sailors of “Ahoy” salute. -
Artwork created by the young cast is incorporated into the set of “Ahoy.” -
The adventure begins with a chase around the couch. -
Andy’s Summer Playhouse in Old Wilton Center.
Andy’s Summer Playhouse launched its 2025 summer season with a matinee of “Ahoy,” based on the children’s book by Sophie Blackall, with an 11 a.m. performance on Saturday.
The show is 45 minutes long and aimed at a young audience. Additional performances are July 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. and July 19 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Shows are at 582 Isaac Frye Highway in Wilton
Before the performance, Aimee LaRue of the Peterborough Town Library read the picture book “Ahoy” aloud to children who had come to see the show. Co-Artistic Director Jess Honovich discovered the picture book, a magical story of imagination, through her work as an educator,
“I have been reading this book with my students for months now, and it has been really cool to see what they responded to, and then we thought about bringing it into the theater,” said Honovich said. “I love this story. It’s accessible; it’s all about imagination, and it’s magical.”
Saturday’s performance was the theater’s first morning matinee. Co-Artistic Director SMJ said adding the matinee shows gives the cast and crew more time to perform and use their skills. Each matinee will include a read-aloud of “Ahoy” by a local librarian.
“We’ve really enjoyed working with the Peterborough Town Library and the Milford Public Library on the read-alouds. My wife is also an educator; and we want to do anything we can to promote books and reading,” SMJ said.
“Ahoy” is directed by Matt Reeves and Colette Krogol of Orange Grove Dance, who call the show “a celebration of what’s possible when movement meets imagination.”
The story is told entirely through dance, original music and movement, against a backdrop of professional lighting and digital projections of artwork, much of which was created by the young cast.
Honovich worked with Blackall to bring the story to the stage.
“It was such a joy and honor to work with her on how to bring this to the theater,” she said.
The play opens with a parent coming into a disheveled living room, patiently picking up toys and clothes and disassembling what seems to be a sailing ship constructed from the couch, a golf club and a roll of toilet paper.
As the parent tidies up and starts to vacuum, a child and a cat sneak back into the room to reassemble the ship, and the parent, catching on, joyfully joins in the game. A wild adventure on the high seas ensues, with dozens of sea creatures, sailors and pirates appearing to tell the tale.
The show features Josie Dumont as Child, Corey Leishman as Parent, Veronica Reimers as Cat and Breigha Rodgers as Other Parent.
The next play at Andy’s will be a full-length play, “Battle of Books,” written by SMJ and directed by Emily Bubeck. “Battle of the Books” opens Friday night, July 25.
For all showtimes or to purchase tickets for “Ahoy” go to andyssummerplayhouse.org.