A different kind of love: 'Corduroy' opens at the Children’s Theatre Company

While many will be celebrating Valentine’s Day by going out to dinner with a significant other, the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis will be raising the curtain on a play about a stuffed bear, a little girl and the love of friendship.

The play is titled “Corduroy,” and was originally commissioned by the Children’s Theatre — and first staged — in 2018.

MPR News arts reporter Jacob Aloi sat down with playwright Barry Kornhauser to talk about why he chose to adapt the beloved children's book by Don Freeman and why theater for young audiences is important.

The following is a transcript of their conversation. It has been edited for length and clarity.

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I know it's an adapted work from a children's book, could you just give us the synopsis of the show?

I don't want to give away too much of it, but I can tell you this, that it's a book that has remained popular for more than 50 years now, which says a lot about it. It's on the list of the top 100 picture books of all time, and deservedly so.

Because it's a little picture book, it has a very big heart. And it's very relatable to children.

It covers the adventure of a toy bear in the store that is passed by over and over again, because it's broken. It's missing a button on his overalls. And he feels that because of that, he's not worthy of love [and] friendship, [he] goes on a quest for his button when the store closes.

And at the same time, there's a little girl named Lisa, who would dearly love to have the bear —unbeknownst to Corduroy. But her mom has said no, because it's a broken toy.

That's the crux of the story. We've embellished that quite a bit on the stage. Because I remember reading that book to my three children, many times. It took all of five minutes. So, turning it into a full live production … was a bit of a challenge.

You mentioned that you read this to your kids. And so, I assume the story's been around in your life for a while?

Yep. My youngest is 33 years old now. So that's how long ago we read the story.

Was it that love of the story that made you want to adapt this work into a stage production?

I think so. Again, because it offers some very simple and universal heartfelt lessons. And it was something and we thought that would translate well to the stage. And it was an honor and a joy to work on it.

Did you always have this kind of wonder and want to create stories for younger audiences? Or was that something that developed as you had your own kids or as you grew as an artist yourself?

I've always been drawn to working for kids. I mean, my studies in college were based on child development and behavior ... I think I only once, specifically, wrote a play with adult audiences in mind.

What goes into making a story that's more geared towards a younger audience?

I think young people are simply the most important of audiences. And they're the best.

Importantly, because by virtue of their very youth, these audiences are still exploring who they are and their connections to others in the world, they're going to one day inherit and shape.

I think through theatre, we can perhaps help them to reflect on this journey of discovery. And in doing that, help them build their self-awareness through understanding your empathy.

That's a great privilege. It's also a serious responsibility.

I further suggest that young people, even more than adults, are likely to be open to, even enthusiastic about all sorts of dramatic explorations in both form and content. And that's a gift to the playwright, because it allows us to continue to grow artistically.

I think it's very exciting writing for young people. I can't think of anything more exciting, maybe except having to run a big department store after closing hours.