Review: At "Show Up, Kids!," Showing Up Is Just the First Step
Show Up, Kids! Written by Peter Michael Marino and the kids Directed by Michole Biancosino and the kids Presented at Q.E.D. 27-16 23rd Ave, Astoria, Queens August 17-September 28, 2024 Denisse Estefany Mendoza. Photo by Mikiodo The creation of Peter Michael Marino, Show Up, Kids! relies on the stellar improvisation skills of one performer (Denisse Estefany Mendoza 8/17-9/14 and Kento Morita 9/21-28) and the natural tendency of young children to participate enthusiastically in nearly any new experience. Based on the premise that the performer is too nervous to show up, the host (Mendoza or Morita) recruits the kids in the audience to put on the show, allowing them to choose every aspect of the production. The result is an experience just as enjoyable for the grown-ups as the kids. Billed for ages 3-10, the show is perhaps best suited for the younger end of that range, although even the older kids in the audience quickly moved past their pre-teen tendency to scoff at that deemed too “...