Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia presents Sheree Fitch's When Dinosaurs Dine by Moonlight adapted and directed by Jim Morrow, music by Steven Naylor, design by Jim Morrow and Holly Carr. This production is available for touring during our 2005/2006 season.

Sheree Fitch is a poet, educator, journalist, author, and activist who has performed her work as far south as Belize and as far north as the Canadian Arctic. Her award-winning books for youngsters have been characterized by exuberant verse and humour, and have served to introduce a generation of Canadian children to the joy of reading and the excitement of language.

Sheree regularly travels throughout North America and further afield to fulfil engagements as a workshop leader, keynote speaker and ambassador for Canadian children's literature. She ’s a major advocate for literacy, and a spokesperson for world children's rights and UNICEF.

Her most recent publications include a guide for children who aspire to be writers, and a work of fiction (The Other Author Arthur) for which she has been nominated for a Rocky Mountain Book Award. Her first collaboration with Mermaid in 1997, Rummabubba, Lidmaker of the Snufflewogs, was an unusual blend of science fiction and fairy tale.

Sheree Fitch's story, When Dinosaurs Dine By Moonlight, offers wonderful possibilities for a Mermaid adaptation because of its subject matter and its literary style. It’s a whimsical tale of a young boy who meets a collection of extraordinary dinosaurs who parade by his window at bedtime. He ’s frighted yet fascinated, and soon becomes a welcome member of the gathering. Each dinosaur is distinctive, amusing, fanciful - and anatomically accurate.

The result is a science lesson, but also a listening adventure, thanks to Sheree Fitch's unique sense of word play, Steven Naylor's evocative music and Holly Carr's vibrant decor. Jim Morrow's staging and innovative puppets offer plenty of surprises, as the cast of characters grows larger in front of our eyes. Mermaid Theatre first produced When Dinosaurs Dine By Moonlight in the Fall of 2002. Since its inception 28,769 spectators from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Ontario have been delighted with the dancing and singing giants.

The production features the unique blend of puppets and performers, original music and striking stage effects which have brought the Theatre international acclaim. Mermaid has performed for more than 3 million spectators on four continents, but the company remains committed to serving communities in the Atlantic Region. Development for the original production was assisted by The Canada Council,The Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture, Aliant,The Craig Foundation, Maritime Life, and The Nova Scotia Arts Council.

"When Dinosaurs Dine by Moonlight" is produced with permission of the Author.

All rights reserved.

Writer: Sheree Fitch
Director/Production Designer/Script: Jim Morrow
Composer: Steven Naylor
Narrator: Bill Carr
Visual Artist/Designer: Holly Carr
Technical Director: Marcel Boulet
Puppet Construction: Jim Morrow, Deborah MacLean, Sarah Hart, Jonathan Ford
Set Construction: Jonathan Ford, Deborah MacLean, Sarah Jane Hart
Production Assistants: Todd Burgess, Rosemary Browning
Tour Manager: Karen Gasser