"STELLALUNA," SCERA Showhouse II, 745 S. State, Orem, through Nov. 6 (801-225-2569); running time: 60 minutes (no intermission)
OREM — The little fruit bat dropped into a bird's nest is understandably confused.
Does he hang upside down like he's inclined, or does he behave more like a proper bird?
Should he eat worms because everyone else is, or should he seek out food more suited to his palate?
What about wanting to stay up and fly about at night rather than sleep safely in the nest?
All good questions that are reasonably answered in this short play.
And while my grandchild who attended the play with me thought it was more about "not flying around in the night when it's not safe" than getting along with different kinds of creatures, it's still worth seeing.
The puppets are colorful and inventive, and the people who make the puppets come to life are fun-loving and enthusiastic.
(Celesta Rimington is Stellaluna; Amber Smith is the Mother Bat and Pip; Josh Curtis is the Owl, Flap and Big Bat; Shawn M. Mortensen is Flitter; and Tabitha Hanks is Mother Bird.)
The three baby birds create a cacophony that's very like the noise made by real baby birds.
Stellaluna is almost a lovable bat — if there is such a thing — trying to figure out why she doesn't like the same things as her new friends and why adapting to something that feels wrong is a good idea.
The music is suited to the show, and even though not everyone in the cast can hit the high notes, it doesn't really matter.
It's the heart that gives this show a reason for being.
Small children in the audience were captivated, and bigger kids were interested.
It's nice that the attacking owl wasn't too big or scary, and it's a plus when the mother bat is found to be alive. It's also fun when the puppets actually fly into the audience.
Here's a good show for young children who might like theater, although babies probably should stay at home.
It can also serve as a good conversation starter with such topics as differences, acceptance, tolerance and love.
e-mail: haddoc@desnews.com