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Arts are for everyone ... and everyone learns through the arts! InterAct Story Theatre is a multidisciplinary arts-in-education organization and touring theatre for young audiences. InterAct Story Theatre Arts are for everyone, and everyone learns through the arts! interacting with our communities local performances, family workshops and community events interacting with students & learners arts education and arts integration programs for students and teachers interacting online interactive performances, school programs and community programs presented through virtual/online platforms New * Now * Next • Stay Tuned! We're busily planning for next fall and the 2026-2027 school year. Please continue to check this website for new Information. • Interested in bringing InterAct Story Theatre to your school or community event next season? We’re selecting now for classes and events. Click here for information on KidStory Theatre , our annual May stage festival and drama-based writing program celebrating stories written by kids for kids! • InterAct is casting! Visit interactstory.com/work-with-us , Casting call for our 2026-2027 Season. • Follow us on Facebook , Instagram , and X to stay up to date on the latest info!

Looking for opportunities with InterAct Story Theatre? We want to hear from you! Work with Us Scroll Down Call for Performing Artists and Ensembles: Wheaton Family Theatre Series InterAct Story Theatre is looking for artists and ensembles interested in performing as part of the Wheaton Family Theatre Series, a free performing arts series for kids and families produced by InterAct. The series has included theatre, storytelling, clowning, West African drumming and dance, global percussion, opera, capoeira, and more, and seeks to reflect the diverse community of Wheaton back to its audiences. Performances take place on weekends in the fall, and last no more than 45 minutes. All programs will take place virtually, and must be family-friendly. Interested performers and ensembles should submit program information including program description, photo and/or sample video (if available), and performance fee rates to info@interactstory.com with the subject header Wheaton Submission. To learn more about InterAct Story Theatre and our core values of Humans treating Humans like Humans, visit our About Us page . Thank you! Casting call for 2026-2027 Season CONTRACT Non-Equity, $95 per performance and $18/hour for rehearsal. AUDITION DATES by Appointment Tuesday, July 14, 6:30 – 9 pm in Silver Spring Wednesday, July 15, 6:30 – 9 pm in Silver Spring Saturday, July 18, 9:30 – 2:30 pm in DC Auditions by zoom may be possible by appointment, depending on auditor availability. APPOINTMENTS To sign up for an audition time please fill out this form: Audition Form Please email ali[at]interactstory.com with any questions. SEEKING Actors for two productions: Not My Monkey (Educational tour in MD/DC/VA); KidStory Theatre Festival (in Wheaton, MD) PREPARATION Please prepare the sides (email to you after you sign up for an audition). Actors interested in Not My Monkey may be asked to engage in a short movement and/or improv moment. For some roles in Not My Monkey, you may be asked to sing 8 – 16 bars a cappella. 1. Not My Monkey Directed by: Ali Oliver-Krueger First Rehearsal: mid-February 2027 Performances: March 20 – late May, 2027 in locations throughout the DMV region (Average 2 performances a week, with time off for spring break) SYNOPSIS: Trouble under the big top! The new ringleader wants to do a good job leading her zany crew of circus folk, but there’s a new problem every time she turns around, and no one wants to pitch in or even try to get along. To make matters worse, the monkeys have broken loose and are wreaking havoc everywhere! How can a community work together to solve its problems, when everyone thinks it’s not their problem to solve? And how can the community work together to stop the monkey madness? Everyone in the audience gets into the act right from where they’re sitting, becoming part of the community of performers and townspeople who need to tackle this hair-raising problem. SEEKING: 3 actors. Actors with movement, clowning, improv, and TYA/teaching artist experience especially encouraged to audition! Actor 1: (Female or nonbinary, 20s, open ethnicity) Plays the Circus Leader, Tekla Żaba Actor 2: (Female, open age, open ethnicity) Plays Clown 2, The Bearded Lady (Delia the Dazzler; singing role), The Knife Thrower’s Wife (Agata the Adorable; Polish, offstage voice), Glenda, the Magician’s Assistant (non-speaking role)The Community Leader (lead facilitator in Town Hall Meeting open forum). Must be comfortable singing a short song. Actor 3: (Male or nonbinary, open age, open ethnicity) Plays Clown 1, Lion Tamer (Gunther Gebel Wilhelm, Austrian), Knife Thrower (Mariusz the Magnificent, Polish), The Magician (Alexy the Amazing, British) +++ 2. KidStory Theatre Festival Rehearsal Dates: 5 - 6 rehearsals starting late April 2027; exact rehearsal dates/times are based on actor and space availability. Performances: Weekend of May 15-16, 2026 in Wheaton, MD SYNOPSIS: All year long, InterAct Story Theatre artists create stories with kids, and invite them to share their epic stories with us. We’re choosing some of our favorite stories written by kids over the year, as we present a series of short plays and stories performed by professional actors. SEEKING: Four Actors (open ethnicity and gender) who are flexible, have good timing and are able to learn lines and adapt quickly. +++ Volunteer Opportunities We are always looking for volunteers to help during events and help with other projects at InterAct Story Theatre. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact at info@interactstory.com or fill out our mailing list form in our page footer and be sure to check the volunteer box!

Season 2 of Wheaton Family Theatre Series Wheaton Family Theatre Series Season 2: October, 2016 through May, 2017 The Legend of Pufferfish Pat: A Tall Tale For Mad Times October 2016 A brand new tall tale looking at how we deal with anger and other big feelings. The play is performed by three actors who become a variety of characters, with the whole audience becoming cowpokes and townspeople. Kwame Ansah-Brew and Fritete Drum and Dance Ensemble November 2016 An exciting morning of rhythms, dances, songs, and chants with a clear mission of representing various ethnic groupings in Africa! All ages. Cantaré ¡Feliz Navidad! A Latin American Holiday Celebration December 2016 Enjoy songs and stories from Latin American holiday traditions: villancicos from the Andes, festejos from Peru, parrandas from Puerto Rico, African chants from Brazil, Hanukkah songs from Spain and more! All ages. A Journey Around the World through Music March 2017 Celebrate Music in Our Schools Month with Tom Teasley, award-winning percussionist, world musician and composer. An inspiring cross-cultural musical journey around the world, weaving ancient musical traditions with modern technology. Silly Smarts and Other Stories from Japan April 2017 Ali Oliver-Krueger, Artistic Director of InterAct Story Theatre, will join us for a special interactive performance of Mama-San Stories, weaving stories from her Japanese-American childhood with traditional Japanese mukashibanashi (Long-Ago Stories) in this funny and heart-warming east-meets-west story theatre experience. KidStory Theatre Festival May 2017 A theatrical celebration of stories written by kids for kids! All year long, InterAct Story Theatre artists create stories with kids, and invite kids to share their epic stories with us. Each May, we choose the best of the best and transform them into short plays, musical numbers, and vignettes performed by our InterActors. We can’t wait to see what kids dream up each year! Best for ages 3 and up. Season 6 Season 5 Season 4 Season 3 Season 11 Season 1 To keep up on the latest news about InterAct’s Wheaton Family Theatre Series Season 11 and get reminders about our next program dates, join our mailing list . We also invite you to check out our past seasons by clicking on any of the season buttons! < Back to Community Page Season 7 Season 8 Season 2 Season 9 Season 10

InterAct Story Theatre’s Wheaton Family Theatre Series is a free, monthly performing arts series that runs each year fall through spring. Season 11 of Wheaton Family Theatre Series. Scroll Down Wheaton Family Theatre Series Season 11: 2025—2026 THANK YOU to all of our communities who attended a program during Season 11. To keep up on the latest news about InterAct’s Wheaton Family Theatre Series and get reminders about our next program dates, join our mailing list . We also invite you to check out our past seasons 1—10 by clicking on any of the season buttons! Season 11 Season 10 Season 8 Season 7 Season 6 Season 5 Season 4 Season 3 Season 2 Season 1 < Back to Community Page Season 9 The Wheaton Family Theatre Series is a FREE public performing arts series for kids and families celebrating the rich diversity of our arts community. In season 11 of InterAct Story Theatre's Wheaton Family Theatre Series will present a series of interactive family events, for the Wheaton community, in theatre, dance, storytelling and world music completely FREE to the public! Thanks to the partnership support of Highland Elementary School and support from a plethora of community members; and funding from Maryland State Arts Council, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and individual and corporate donors. Past programs: InterAct Story Theatre's Encore Performance Bobtail Bong Bong A Monkey's Tale Saturday, October 18 & Sunday, October 19, 2025 Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed. Bob the Monkey is the smartest monkey in the land, and they want everyone to know it! Bob the Monkey wants what they want and they want it NOW! But...why is everyone mad at Bob? Bob didn’t do anything! In this interactive forum theatre experience for kids and families, audiences follow Bob’s madcap misadventures and help Bob figure out where they went wrong and got in trouble monkeying around. Led by InterAct Story Theatre’s Artistic Director Ali Oliver-Krueger, audience members make suggestions about how Bob could do things differently, and watch Bob and friends role play out their ideas. Can Bob flip the script and turn things around? Can Bob make things better by making better choices? Does it work? What happens next? Best for ages 4 and up. Happy Theater: The Light House Saturday, November 15 at 11 a.m. & Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 2 p.m. Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed. An interactive storytelling show with shadow puppets. On an island in a faraway sea, a little girl tends a lighthouse and never ever smiles…Until one day, when she must set out for the horizon beyond the sea! With live ukulele tunes, a ticklish octopus, and a little help from the audience, this interactive shadow puppetry tale celebrates kindness, magic adventures, and friendship. Inspired by the artist’s collection of lighthouses, this show by Happy Theater is about finding your own light, and how your light can help even faraway friends through a hard time. Best for ages 4 and up. Dancing Our Way Through Books led by Kelly King Saturday, January 10 at 11 a.m. & Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 2 p.m. Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed. Join Kelly King, InterAct Story Theatre teaching artist and founder of Contradiction Dance Theatre and The Movement Movement as we'll explore a kid-friendly story through creative movement and dance. Kids get to practice reading skills while moving, dancing, and sharing stories with our families and friends. No prior dance training needed...just bring your body and get ready to move. What a fun way to dance away the winter blues! Best for ages 3 and up. Books Alive with InterAct Story Theatre's Ali Oliver-Krueger Saturday, February 7 at 11 a.m. & Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 2 p.m. Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed. This February, InterAct Story Theatre’s Artistic Director, Ali Oliver-Krueger leads kids and adults in exploring a favorite folk tale together through movement, drama, and song. Everyone’s a part of the story in this Family Arts Workshop! Best for ages 3 and up. InterAct Story Theatre's Jewel the Great Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m. & Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 2 p.m. Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed. InterAct Story Theatre's new play for elementary-age children and their families. Jewel is new to the small mountain town of Highview, where she struggles to fit in and make a name for herself. How can she get everyone to see her the way she wants to be seen? And what can she do when nothing seems to work, and everything she tries seems to blow up and make things worse? Children in the audience participate right from their seats, becoming members of Jewel’s community and helping Jewel along the way with problem solving. Best for ages 5 and up. TAHIRA The Storyteller Saturday, April 18 at 11 a.m. & Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 2 p.m. Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed. TAHIRA isn’t just a performer; she’s a tapestry artist, intricately weaving tales and melodies into experiences that ignite hearts and minds. TAHIRA’s high-energy performances are more than entertainment; they’re journeys of human brilliance revealed through laughter, tears, and the unifying power of music. With every song and story, she champions the arts as a catalyst for social change, lighting the way to a brighter future. All ages. KidStory Theatre Festival A theatrical celebration of stories written by kids for kids Saturday, May 16 at 11 a.m. & Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 2 p.m. Event held at Highland Elementary School - 3100 Medway Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 FREE and open to the public! No tickets or registration needed. All year long, InterAct Story Theatre artists create stories with kids, and invite them to share their epic stories with us. This May, we’re choosing some of our favorite stories written by kids, as we present a series of short plays and stories performed by our InterActors. We can’t wait to see what kids dream up each year! Best for ages 4 and up. Mail List Past programs:

Season 5 of Wheaton Family Theatre Series. Wheaton Family Theatre Series Season 5: October, 2019 through February, 2020 Season 6 Season 11 Season 4 Season 3 Season 2 Season 1 To keep up on the latest news about InterAct’s Wheaton Family Theatre Series Season 11 and get reminders about our next program dates, join our mailing list . We also invite you to check out our past seasons by clicking on any of the season buttons! < Back to Community Page Season 7 Season 8 Season 5 Season 9 Season 10 Bobtail BONG BONG: A Monkey’s Tale October 2019 In this interactive forum theatre experience for kids and families, audiences follow Bob the Monkey’s madcap misadventures and help Bob figure out where they went wrong and got in trouble monkeying around. Audience members make suggestions about how Bob could do things differently, and watch Bob and friends role play out their ideas. Can Bob flip the script and turn things around? Kofi Dennis & Performing Arts Center for African Culture November 2019 In honor of beloved InterAct Story Theatre Artist and Ghanaian Master Drummer Kwame Ansah-Brew, join Kofi Dennis and members of Performing Arts Center For African Cultures (PACAC) as they bring an exciting morning of rhythms, dances, and songs representing a variety of cultures across Africa. All ages. Preposterous! A Happenstance Clown Circus December 2019 InterAct Story Theatre welcomes back our friends from Happenstance Theater as these charming vintage clowns play circus animals, sing as a human calliope, do a classic circus mirror routine, invent a number of ridiculous “entrées,” perform live music, and execute a preposterous slow motion number involving a pie! All ages. Literacy Fiesta! January & February 2020 In our Literacy Fiesta programs, kids and adults are part of the story as we celebrate books and stories through drama, music, movement and dance! Join us and leave those winter blues behind! Add to Mailing List

InterAct Story Theatre’s arts education programs are going online and into the virtual classroom! Interactive performances, school programs, and community programs presented online through virtual/online platforms. InterAct Online Scroll Down Interactive online programs for the virtual classroom or virtual stage InterAct Story Theatre’s arts education programs are going online and into the virtual classroom! Looking for ways to keep students engaged in the virtual classroom or at home? Seeking out online programming that makes classroom learning more interactive? On the hunt for culturally responsive arts education options, or teaching artists with expertise in working with students with varied abilities, students with Limited English Proficiency, and students who just need to be active...even when they’re sitting in front of a Chromebook? Look no further! InterAct is here to help! In response to requests from educators and parents, we’ve been adapting a lot of our workshops, residencies, and performances for virtual/online instruction! Available Online! Look for the box saying “Available Online!” next to program titles. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for, ask us about designing a program just for you and your students! One of our favorite things to do is to design programs with our partners...in fact, many of the programs you see on our website were originally designed in response to requests by parents, teachers, and kids. All programming is designed from a framework of Universal Design for Learning and creating child-centered, child-driven arts learning activities. Contact us or fill out our response form to talk with us about how InterAct can design or present a virtual/online program for your school or community. Virtual/online offerings available include: InterAct in the Community Performances & Assembly Programs Arts Education & Arts Integration: Classroom Workshops Arts Education & Arts Integration: Artist-in-Residence Programs Out of School Time Programs Staff Workshops & Training Professional Development Residencies Parent-Child Workshops and Family Literacy Events AND we’re cooking up some new and creative online programs—including new versions of some of our interactive plays—so check back with us or join our mailing list to stay in the loop with the latest information! < Back to InterAct in the Community

TheatreWashington "Take Ten with Ali Oliver-Krueger" by Michael Kyrioglou September 14, 2016 “[InterAct Story Theatre] is brightening the lives of children and adults.” “To the 8 year old: Go for it! Try everything, and be curious about everything. Don’t worry about being right, or being perfect--don’t be afraid to get messy, struggle, and fail. Struggle is good. It’s okay if you’re struggling as you’re learning and making art—struggling at something doesn’t mean you’re bad at it, it just means you’re figuring out how to get good at it!” < Back to Press

Voytto Tech: a scifi fable on bullying Click Here to read the review by DC Theater Arts September 20, 2018 "Audience members get several chances to be part of the story, helping to propel the action onstage through physical and verbal cues." Click Here to read the review by Theatre Bloom Five Stars! September 18, 2018 "It’s a remarkable and innovative piece of theatre that addresses issues with which all children are faced in this present day and age. How to survive as an individual and what to do when your individuality gets you bullied. InterAct Story Theatre has an extraordinary show on their hands with a powerful message, and together the whole thing is simply out of this world.” Click Here to read the review by Adventure Moms September 15, 2018 "Voytto Tech combines science technology and art to breach the topics of bullying and social inequality." < Back to Press

Online Out of School Time for MSAC review: Mama-San Stories Thank you for reviewing this online performance for addition to InterAct Story Theatre’s AiE Roster listing! InterAct Story Theatre has visiting performances for a wide range of educational and family audiences. This program was designed for students in grades PreK-1, some of whom are with a teacher in a classroom, and some of whom are at home with a family member. A tech sheet outlining the program coordination and tech rehearsal process is uploaded here; in addition to this tech packet, partner organizations also receive an electronic parent-educator resource/study guide and a link to a feedback form. Our website is currently being updated so this information will be easily accessible online. CLICK HERE FOR TECH PACKET CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

Available Online! A variety of classroom workshops integrating drama, dance, and music into classroom curricula for grades preK through high school. All workshops are designed to meet state standards and objectives in both the art form and the content area being addressed. Arts Education & Arts Integration: Classroom Workshops InterAct Story Theatre conducts a variety of classroom workshops integrating drama, dance, and music into classroom curricula for grades preK through high school. All workshops are designed to meet state standards and objectives in both the art form and the content area being addressed. Scroll down for a sampling of some of our workshop offerings for different age and grade levels. Or, contact us or request more info about designing a classroom workshop for you! Many of our classroom workshops can be expanded into 2, 3- or 4-day artist-in-residence programs. See our page of Classroom Residencies for more information . REQUEST MORE INFO Early Education Elementary School Middle & High School Students < Back to InterAct in Schools

Meet Our Team: Tina Canady We’re so proud of our community of artists who share their skills and talents with InterAct Story Theatre and the communities we serve! Although we can’t gather together and do what we love—performing and creating fabulous art with kids, families, teachers, and community members—we want to take a few moments to celebrate some of the amazing people who make up our merry band of artists and educators. Today, we feature the wonderful and talented TINA CANADY! Meet TINA! Tina Canady is a black, queer theater artist. Since earning her BFA in drama from NYU, Tina has worked with several theaters across Baltimore, including Single Carrot Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, and Submersive Productions, LLC, where she serves as an artistic associate. Tina is passionate about creating new works, arts integration and continuing to cultivate her black joy! When she's not performing or teaching, she can usually be found playing board games, laughing or buying new wacky socks! 1. What do you love the most about working as a teaching artist? I love sharing my passion for theater making and creative expression. As someone who struggled academically, the arts allowed me to not only feel successful or “smart,” but it created a space for me to be myself. 2. Do you enjoy teaching or performing more? That’s so hard! But I think performing because that’s when I feel the most alive. 3. What is your favorite grade to work with? Early childhood! Early childhood classes leave me inspired because there is consistently a sense of novelty. The students are fearless in their pursuit of joy and self expression. And they remind me how to access parts of myself that too, feel wondrous, magical and limitless. 4. What have you learned from the teachers in the schools you’ve visited as an InterAct teaching and performing artist? Teachers do not get enough credit for the work they do! They create and maintain structure for these kids all while making learning enjoyable and that’s no small task! 5. Favorite story your students have created in class? I had one class create an extension about Anansi, a trickster spider that played tricks on other animals by using a magic flying carpet. That was pretty epic. 6. Favorite moment with a student/young audience member? In InterAct’s touring show “Not My Monkey!”, I played Delia the Dazzler, a bearded lady who sang an awesome song about loving yourself and accepting yourself. And I will never forget the first time an audience full of K-6th graders started singing along with me as they celebrated Delia in all of her beauty. As a queer artist, you don’t always get the opportunity to show up to work with your whole self and that was definitely a moment of pure joy and wholeness. 7. Favorite Children’s Book? I was obsessed with any book about the Berenstein bears. I’ve collected over like 70 of their books! So hard to pick a favorite! I'll say The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food because I loved to snack! 8. Must-have Quarantine snack? Brownies with vanilla ice cream. 9. Favorite Self-Care Activity? Meditating outside. 10. Something you can’t wait to do when social distancing is over? Visiting my mom and giving her a hug! 11. Dream Role? Hmm, I’m not sure because I can’t even begin to imagine the wondrous roles yet to be written! 12. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned this year as a teaching and performing artist for InterAct? One of the biggest takeaways I have as an InterAct teaching and performing artist has to do with the intersection of where preparation meets humanity. InterAct has prepared me to facilitate workshops in an academic environment while still encouraging me to bring my humanity to the classroom. I work with a vast variety of kids and they always come with goodwill and their own unique perspectives and my hope is to bring structured lesson plans and poses the flexibility necessary to bask in our shared humanness and just have fun!

Community InterActions is a four-part podcast series exploring the impact of Covid-19 on the Wheaton area. Community InterActions collects stories to tell and shares them through the words and voices of the people who are living them. This limited audio series will be taking a look at who we are in Wheaton, and focusing on some specific people in Wheaton who wanted to share their stories about the impact of the pandemic on their lives and livelihoods. Scroll Down Community InterActions Welcome to Community InterActions, a four-part podcast series exploring the impact of Covid-19 on the Wheaton area. Our Wheaton community is full of stories to tell, and we're telling just a few of them in this series. Community InterActions collects some of those stories and shares them through the words and voices of the people who are living them. This limited audio series launched in 2021 takes a look at who we are in Wheaton, and focuses on some specific people in Wheaton who want to share their stories about the impact of the pandemic on their lives and livelihoods. To access our podcast episodes, click on an episode square below or click on this link . For more information about any of our guests and contributors, click on the images in the virtual gallery below! We'd love to hear what you thought of our podcasts. Please fill-out this short survey to let us know! This project was made possible by a grant from Maryland Humanities, with funding received from the Maryland Historical Trust in the Maryland Department of Planning. Maryland Humanities’ Grants Program is also supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and private funders. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Maryland Humanities, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland Department of Planning, or National Endowment for the Humanities.