If anything deserves praise, it is most certainly the annual Children’s Show put on by the Theatre Department. Each year, in a span of a mere two weeks, a group of talented performers and technicians, with the help of the dynamic Denise Myers, band together to create a charming and smile-inducing piece of theatre, and this year’s show was no different.

The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks was an absolute joy. Featuring spectacularly-made puppets crated by Millikin senior, Brian Kocher, the production was a delight to both the young and young at heart. The puppets, dubbed Fluffy and Stanley, were each masterfully manipulated by puppeteers, Peter Kattner, Ben Locke, Genevieve Breitbach, and Katie Szajkovics, truly seemed to have minds and personalities of their own and managed to get many a laugh from the audience. Fluffy and Stanley each became the beloved pets of Norma and Mikaela, portrayed by sophomores Jacque McNaughton and Emma Wright, respectively. Wright and McNaughton each managed to portray a pair of wacky, lovable sisters with flying colors as bright as those that graced the socks which the plants both love to snack upon.

Fresh faces to campus, Alyssa Soto and Brandon Januska took on the roles of Norma and Mikaela’s loving parents who, like any young family, are just trying to manage a budget and plan a trip to Disneyworld; a budget which hits a snag when two plants who like to eat socks become the beloved companions of their daughters. It’s not often that a pair of actors can play parents to those older than themselves, yet Soto and Januska pull it off remarkably.

Making their own mark on the stage were resident Ninjas, Morgan Oliver and Lauren Rhodes, who each managed to get the audience clapping, laughing, and smiling, all without the use of any words at all. Sometimes all it takes is a sneaky pair of ninjas to turn a child’s frown into a smile that they can’t, in the words of Norma, “unsmile”.

Wrapping up the cast are Meghan Bryan, taking on the double role of Norma and Mikaela’s classmate Pat and the town news’ camera operator and Trinity Thomas, who played the school Principal and news reporter, Kim. Each of the actresses gave both characters in their arsenal a personality all their own and managed to transition between them flawlessly.

Applause to all those involved in this adorably charismatic production, whether they were on the stage or making everything run smoothly backstage. If a sneaky plant managed to eat your socks and you were unable to come to the show due to lack of comfortable footwear, you most definitely missed out!