Books come to life at the Long Island Children’s Museum as the current production of “Elephant and Piggie: We Are In a Play!,” inspired by Mo Willems children’s book series, is now running. Stop by to watch this Best of Long Island 2025 winner for Best Theatre Arts Center.
The Mo Williams children’s book series-turned-play follows an elephant named Gerald and a pig called Piggie as the two uncover the ups and downs of friendships. With audience interaction, live music and great storylines, children and adults alike are sure to have some laughs.
Families can look forward to more than the typical theater experience. “We offer accessible, fun, interactive shows, sometimes a child’s first experience in the theater for children of all ages, and we try to make it so that the whole family can enjoy it,” said Lisa Rudin, artistic director.
The productions are designed to have children’s imaginations run wild and come to life as well as keeping parents entertained too through the audience interactions. Whether it’s a catchy song with the characters coming into the audience or laughing at a silly joke, the theater productions provide a great shared experience for families.
“Theater in general teaches empathy, it helps people to see themselves through a character’s journey.” said Rudin. “They learn new things about other characters that they may not have thought of. So it’s a combination of seeing yourself and being exposed to others in an intimate setting.”
The current production of “Elephant & Piggies: “We Are In A Play” puts forth a story that can resonate with children and adults as the musical offers meaningful takeaways.
“I hope the audience takes away the story that even if you’re different from somebody, you can love each other and you can get on with each other and you can have fun with each other and you can have highs and lows in your relationship,” said Austin Costello, technical director. “But at the end of the day, we all come back together again.”
The Long Island Children’s Museum opened in 1993 and moved buildings in 2002, creating a specific room for the theatre that included 140 seats to enhance the performances for both the audience and the performers.
After Elephant and Piggy, they plan to have a Grammy-winning group 123 Andrés come and perform ‘Musical Explorers!.’ For more information about when your family can see a play at the Long Island Children’s Museum, be sure to check their website.
