When families decide to grow their own food, they are investing in the health and wellness of those they love the most. Parents can involve children in that process by planting seeds with them, and looking after the seeds as they grow tall and strong. Through the process of nurturing a seed and watching it grow, children experience firsthand the value of hard work and providing necessities, like food, for their family.

In Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts’ JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, Jack and his mother fall upon tough times; there is no hay to feed their cow, Milky White, and no way for her to produce milk for them to sell in the market. As a result, the mother makes the difficult decision that they must sell her. Mother knows that the money they earn from selling Milky White will provide them with enough for food and medicine for a period of time.

As parents do, Jack’s mother made a sacrifice that wasn’t easy, but it was for the benefit of her family. When Jack returns home soon after leaving to sell Milky White, his mother is skeptical about what he is returning with…and for good reason! Parents want to make sure their children are well cared for, that they have everything they could ever want or need. Unfortunately, doing so can translate to a lack of appreciation for the hard work it really takes to provide for those growing needs. We see this dichotomy come to life when Jack returns, ecstatic about the magic beans he just landed, only to have his mother display much less than a positive vibe.

Jack, like all good, honest children, doesn’t want to let his mother down, so he climbs all the way up the beanstalk in search of a fortune that will convince his mother that the beans he got in exchange for their precious cow are truly magical. Inside the Giant’s castle, Jack meets Goldie, a hen that lays golden eggs; and Esmerelda, the woman who takes care of the Giant; both of whom feel their hard work providing for and making the Giant comfortable goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Seeing the Giant speak rudely to two who are so helpful motivates Jack to save them.

If it weren’t for Jack experiencing Goldie and Esmerelda’s struggle to survive firsthand in the Giant’s castle, he may never have understood the difficult decision his mother made to sell Milky White. Like all fairy tales, Jack and his mother’s story has a happy ending—but you’ll have to see the show to find out just how he defeats the Giant.  And trust me, even if you think you’ve got this fairy tale down, you owe it to yourself to see the surprises and gentle moments that only Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts can provide.

Be sure to arrive a little early to start your own garden working with a member of the Green Thumb Team in the DCT lobby.  There will also be a Jelly Bean guessing contest you can enter!  No beans, I mean, no bones about it, the entire family will have a great time.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK runs March 3 – 26. Tickets on sale now. Plan your visit at dct.org.