PREVIEW: Free Outdoor Musical Brings Mo Willems’ Beloved Books to Life
08/16—08/19 @ Washington Park, Albany
**This review originally appeared in our August 2026 print issue**
Photos provided by Playhouse Stage Company
“It’s parables and lessons that the show teaches, and it’s so well written that even adults will get a lot of laughs out of it.”
It is difficult to imagine a summer in Albany without the Playhouse Stage Company (PSC) at Park Playhouse in Washington Park. As a cherished tradition, families spread out on the grass, enjoy a summer evening breeze, and watch the annual summer season of programming.
It’s even more difficult to fathom PSC in jeopardy as theaters struggle across the country or that a delightful children’s show like Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play could be so significant. For families attending, the show intentionally represents a gateway into theater. For PSC, it represents a pivot toward the core values they were founded on, including accessibility.
“Both the city and the nonprofit arts world are facing real economic challenges right now,” says Producing Artistic Director Owen Smith. “What matters is how we respond to them. We’re choosing to focus our resources where they can make the deepest impact — on young people and families.”
The musical adaptation of Mo Willems’ beloved children’s book series will take place from August 16–26, with a mixture of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. showtimes. Every performance will be completely free for this family-friendly production.
”Park Playhouse has this magical quality of breaking that barrier down completely, and you can feel that when you’re there. Everyone is welcome because there’s no barrier to entry,” says Smith. “It’s a particularly special way of serving the community by being a part of the Park Playhouse family.”
Selecting Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play was an easy choice; not only is the book series well-known, but the illustrations allow for interpretation. When introducing young children to theater, it’s an exciting opportunity for them to utilize their own imaginations.
“It’s parables and lessons that the show teaches, and it’s so well written that even adults will get a lot of laughs out of it,” says Smith. “Adults will certainly enjoy the musical component, because the score is just like the bouncy, traditional Broadway music that is fun to listen to under a summer sky.”
Smith believes that the more young people are introduced to the theater, the more they will be inspired to broaden their worldview and experience theater for themselves.
“When you go to see a piece of theater, that’s a live human performing right in front of you at that moment,” he reiterates. “That’s such a valuable lesson to learn because it’s that dynamism that creates the next generation of theater artists.”
He is speaking from experience. Smith has been with the company for 30 years and recalls his time in a youth production of Robin Hood before the main show of the evening, Guys and Dolls. Experiencing the energy and power of live theater, even at a young age, changed his life.
“I’ve stayed involved for the reason that I got involved, which was that it’s such a welcoming, accessible environment,” he describes.
Times have changed since Smith first arrived. Economics is a driving force of change, the worry on every artist’s mind. PSC is proud to be a theater full of paid professionals, but money directed toward the arts is growing slim.
Since its founding, Park Playhouse has been largely funded by the City of Albany. After the recession in 2009, their funding was cut and PSC depended on their sponsors. However, in the wake of the pandemic, sponsorship changed with charitable funding directed away from the arts, which is affecting regional theaters across the country.
Proceeds for this production were leveraged by Mayor Dr. Dorcey Applyrs, utilizing the Albany Community Development Agency grant program. Sponsorship and the City’s financial support are essential to maintaining PSC’s work throughout the year.
“If we don’t have sponsors, we wouldn’t be doing a show outside,” Smith explains. “If we don’t have support, we can’t do a show for free and still pay our staff.”
This production represents a beacon of hope for the future of PSC. If even one child in the audience feels the way that Smith did years ago, immersed in the magic of Robin Hood, he’s confident the path ahead is bright for PSC and the next generation of performers.
“The roots that I hope that we're building for the future are by changing the program's focus to be all about young people,” says Smith. “We’re really making sure that another generation of kids gets introduced to the theater at that venue without those barriers to access, just like I did, and like so many generations of kids did before me.”
In addition to its Washington Park programming, PSC will present a full summer season at the Cohoes Music Hall, including Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Footloose: The Musical, and 13: The Musical. Tickets for the summer productions at playhousestage.org or by calling the box office at (518) 434-0776.