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HOPKINS, Minn. (WCCO) ― The dressing room is a busy place as the actors get ready for final rehearsal at Stages Theatre in Hopkins. Dancing bears are coming to life, the fairies are getting wings. The main character, the bunny, is familiar to many mothers, fathers, grandparents and children.

Bunny is at the center of Goodnight Moon, a 60-year-old picture book that is now a charming musical. This is the Twin Cities' first production based on the popular book.

Twelve-year-old Anna Evans plays bunny.

"The bunny never seems to want to go to sleep and throughout the show she is very reluctant, I would say, to going to bed and is always coming up her reasons why she thinks she should," said Anna.

Everyone on stage, with one exception, is a child. And that is what makes Stages very unique according to Sandy Boren-Barrett, Stages Theatre Company Artistic Director.

"Stages Theatre Company really is a theatre by and for young people. We look to serve kids on stage, back stage, in the classroom," said Boren-Barrett.

The children had to audition for these roles. You have to be at least 10 years old to try out. They don't get paid, but the adults in the company are paid professionals.

While the children may be amateurs, the expectations are very high, and it shows in the quality of the productions.

"We have professional sound designers, we have professional scenic directors, lighting designers, costumers, stage managers, professional actors on stage serving a dual role here at Stages as both actor and mentor for all the kids," said Boren-Barrett.

Jennifer Kirkeby is the only adult on stage. She's consistently trying to get bunny to go to sleep. Off stage, Kirkeby runs the actor training program.

When asked what Kirkeby enjoys about working with children she said, "Really there are so many cool things about working with kids. I love their creativity, their energy, the way they see life the way, the way they'll try things, it's wonderful."

Melanie Salmon-Peterson is directing this show. She said directing children isn't much different than adults; the children just need more repetition.

They've been rehearsing five days a week for about seven weeks. She loves the moment a child discovers they have the ability to make an audience laugh or applaud. It's an empowering lesson a young person won't ever forget.

"Most of these kids probably are not going to go on and do theatre in their lives but that is going to help them through whatever it is that they decide to do in their lives," said Salmon-Peterson.

It's hard to imagine these children would lack confidence or be shy about making a presentation in class. They're learning how to focus the energy that is teaming inside every child, and you have to love their genuine enthusiasm.

"This show is going to be really, really cool because it's a great kids show. Like people for all ages can come and see it, and it's going to be pretty cool," said Meredith Ford, one of the actors in the performance.

It's pretty cool that children perform in a real 700-seat theatre, pretty amazing to have done it now for 25 years, and pretty neat they've kept it accessible to everyone.

Boren-Barrett makes a pretty good pitch for her theatre.

"We don't sacrifice the quality in order to keep it affordable. It's really a wonderful value for families and I think that if they haven't tried us they should," she said.

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