The Hampstead Stage Company players let their audience peek behind the curtain after their "Pinocchio" performance - both literally and metaphorically.
"Our company is big about making sure we don't dumb things down for the kids," Abby Railsback said after fielding questions about how her Pinocchio nose grew and how costume changes worked.
Two members of the New Hampshire-based company stopped by the Callaway County Public Library in Fulton on Wednesday to perform a light-hearted version of the classic children's tale, heavy on audience participation. The Hampstead Stage Company is a nonprofit that tours the nation putting on kid-friendly and often interactive versions of plays.
"I'm not famous but I kind of am," Jenna Schaffer-Vore said after her turn as one of the animal-eared ruffians who steals Pinocchio's money.
She admitted it was a little scary to volunteer on stage, but in the end, it was fun.
"I loved getting my coin," she said, brandishing her ill-gotten gains.
Trinity Cowans got to play a circus strongwoman, hefting a giant piece of (imaginary) metal above her head.
"My favorite part was when Pinocchio was in the whale," Cowans said.
This wasn't her first play - she'd seen "Seussical the Musical" before. But it was her first time on stage.
Both of the company performers had their own acting debuts at a young age.
"My mom was an actress, so I've been onstage since I was five," Railsback said.
Now in her second season touring with Hampstead, she grew up in Kansas and recently received a Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from Regent University.
"At the age of 8, my dad realized I wasn't good at sports, so he signed me up for theater," Isaac Snyder said.
A native of West Virginia, this is his third tour with Hampstead. During the play, he switched between four characters with seemingly limitless energy.
Snyder and Railsback love how engaged and excited children are during their plays.
"There's a certain aspect of magic with kids, in that they so readily buy into it," Railsback said.
Sometimes, the kids even steal the show, such as one performance of "Beauty and the Beast." That play requires audience volunteers to dress up as wolves and chase Belle and her father around the stage.
"This little boy was super into being a wolf," Snyder recalled. "He grabs Abby's arm and goes rar-rar-rar. I just heard Abby saying 'Ow!'"
Railsback said the boy didn't actually bite her - and the audience loved it.
Both players said parents with theater-curious kids should check out community theater groups. Some colleges also offer summer youth camps.
"Just get out there and tell your story," Railsback said.
To learn more about the Hampstead Stage Company, visit hampsteadstage.org.