Acting Up Theatre Company has been providing theatrical entertainment to Michigan Libraries for the past 12 summers and 2012 won't be any different. Each summer they produce a high energy, original comedic show with revolving colorful characters and morals about the importance of reading and friendship and it always incorporates the summer reading program theme. For the summer of 2012 Acting Up Theatre Company would like to stick to that tradition. The theme this year is “Dream Big… Read!” and the title of our play is “Dream, Big Bear… Read!”

The Story: Most of the time when we go camping either in a tent, camper or just sleeping under the stars, our imaginations are a flutter with excitement, fear and anxiety of the sounds, smells and unknown that come from the darkness of the woods. One of the things we fear most is a Bear, but this story tells about a Bear that fears everything. “Bernie the Bear” is about to spend his first night alone in the darkness and his heart is racing, his paws are sweaty and his back is itchy. He has no idea what those skittering sounds across the ground are, or the snapping twigs or the croaking coming from the swamp. He just wants his Mommy because every time he closes his eyes all he can see is that vision from a story he once heard about a golden haired little girl who breaks a Bear’s chair, steals his porridge and sleeps in his bed. What will he do? He needs his sleep because it is the first day of Salmon Fishing camp the next day and if he is not rested all of the other cubs will get all the Salmon. Throughout the course of the night he is visited by three friends who each share their secret for a good night’s sleep; an illuminating Lightning Bug who shares his love for night lights, a wise old owl who teaches the bear about the logic of “Monsters only live in your head”, and a Blues singing Bullfrog who suggests a big bowl of Bug Soup and the blues will put any creature to sleep. By the end of meeting all of these friends the Bear cub realizes that reading before bed is the one thing that can put him on the track to Sleepytown, he just chose the wrong book. “Goldilocks” gave him nightmares so he chooses another book with a more heroic little girl, “Little Red Riding Hood” not only gives him good dreams as he sleeps but it also makes him less scared of little girls and more fond of books.

Acting Up Theatre Company has gained a reputation across the state for its educational and uplifting theatrical performances. They travel to all over state and book over 70 shows each Summer; this is their eleventh year perfroming in Michigan Libraries. This show will feature the Acting Up staples of up to the minute topical pop culture references, comedy, song, a lesson about doing your own work and everybody’s favorite: audience participation.