SIMI VALLEY : Children Will Help Prop Up ‘Aladdin’

Local performances of the classic “Aladdin” next month will welcome children onstage to serve as props such as bricks, flowers or a palace of lights.

Actors for Children, a division of the county-based Xanadu Theatre Company, will perform the one-hour show at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Simi Valley Library.

Other public performances include shows at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Thousand Oaks Library, at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at Brookside School in Agoura and at 2 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Conejo Community Services Center.

Adapted from one of the most well-known tales of “The Arabian Nights,” “Aladdin” is the story of a mischievous boy who discovers the power of a magic lamp. Six actors will perform inside a circle formed by the audience, inviting children into the stage area as needed, said Naomi Monroe, the group’s founder and producing director.

“The kids are constantly a part of everything going on,” Monroe said. “The audience is called on to help further the action, to keep the play going.” It is best suited for children older than 4, she said.