Phoenix Theatre Cookie Company comes to West campus

“Peacemaker,” a play that is sure to please kindergarteners through third-graders and their family members, will be presented twice, at noon and 2 p.m., March 2. The free performances will take place in Second Stage West, lower level of the University Center Building on ASU’s West campus at 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix.

The play is presented by Phoenix Theatre Cookie Company. Written by David Holman, “Peacemaker” is a story of friendship and acceptance.

The plot centers on the Blues and the Reds, who have lived on either side of the Wall for decades. Interaction is forbidden, and both communities live in an atmosphere of fear, suspicion and mistrust. But when circumstances allow Simp, a curious young Red, to meet Bluey, they learn they have a great deal to offer one another and that their similarities far outweigh their differences. Full of clowning, juggling and physical storytelling, this production promotes acceptance, empathy and friendship.

The 30-year-old Cookie Company strives to illuminate, illustrate and foster the hero that lies within each of us. Qualities like compassion, kindness, integrity and honesty are some of the heroic building blocks that, when nurtured and expressed, can empower children to change any circumstance for the better. The troupe focuses on these innate qualities and demonstrates their positive effect through its productions.

Cookie Company is an initiative of Phoenix Theatre, a fixture in the Valley’s arts scene for more than 90 years. Phoenix Theatre programming also includes the Mainstage Season series of Broadway and world premiere musicals and plays; the annual summer New Works Festival; and PT Education, supporting curricular and extra-curricular educational programs for all ages across the Valley.

The presentation of “Peacemaker” on March 2 is part of the Open Door @ ASU West event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the West campus. Open Door @ ASU West, the campus’s contribution to this year’s Arizona SciTech Festival, features myriad activities and attractions for visitors of all ages, including science experiments and demonstrations, art exhibits, a Rubik’s Cube competition, new automobile displays, and more. All of the day’s activities are free and open to the public.

More information about “Peacemaker” and the rest of the upcoming arts and performance schedule can be found online at http://campus.asu.edu/west/events, on Facebook @ asuwestevents, or by calling the arts information line at 602-543-2787.