By Isabella Artino When my mother and I sat down for this performance, we couldn’t help but smile at the sight of toddlers and children excitedly bouncing around and chatting with their parents. As any parent can tell you, keeping a small child engaged and happy for an extended period is no easy task, but Paper Dreams at Imagination Stage, directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer, managed to captivate both the young and the old with a whimsical journey about the power of discovery and the joy of imagination. This nonverbal dance-based performance follows two friends who live inside a wastepaper basket. Together, they use their imagination and some simple scraps of paper to tell a story full of creativity and laughter, showing just how simple it can be to spark inspiration and fun. Gabriella Giegerich and Hannah Taylor play with paper dolls in ‘Paper Dreams.’ Photo © by Liana SC. The challenge of a nonverbal performance is that the performers must be extra expressive with their face and body to convey a character’s feelings. However, dancers Gabriella Giegerich and Hannah Taylor were able to animate themselves so that even the back row could understand what they were feeling. The dancers moved around the space and each other with a cartoon-inspired elegance that felt playful but never let the audience lose sight of the fact that these two performers were clearly seasoned dancers. Giegerich and Taylor were able to manipulate themselves into creating certain physical illusions, such as a crumpled piece of paper being heavy or struggling to pull the other out of the basket they were “stuck” in, which added an extra layer of entertainment to many moments. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of audience interaction during the performance. From having the audience smell paper flowers to creating a flock of birds with small scraps of paper, the interaction kept the younger audience members engaged and made the older audience members feel young again. The intimacy of these interactions drove home the overarching message of discovery through playing with others. Throughout the performance, projections were cleverly used with the help of lighting designer Zachary Gilbert to highlight different imaginative scenes. On more than one occasion, Giegerich and Taylor stacked the paper props in different horizontal or vertical arrangements to allow certain projections to display on them, often to the surprise and wonderment of the audience. These effects showed an advanced understanding of the stage by the performers and a deep level of trust and communication between the performers and the crew. TOP: Gabriella Giegerich and Hannah Taylor make paper dominoes; ABOVE: Gabriella Giegerich and Hannah Taylor play in a world of paper possibilities, in ‘Paper Dreams.’ Photos © by Liana SC. When the audience first views the set, everything is covered in colorful scraps, but as the show progresses, the performers dramatically reveal the next item for their inspiration while also continuing to utilize the scraps. This intermittent revelation of set pieces throughout allows for constant reengagement with the younger audience members. The simplicity of the set and props don’t limit the performers; in fact, I was constantly impressed by their ability to evoke very specific events, such as a fashion show, through only paper, lights, and sound. The simplicity also leaves room for the audience to fill in some gaps, encouraging them to use their imagination along with the performers. This performance is tailored to the children, which I appreciated but also struggled with as an adult audience member viewing this with another adult audience member. Before the show started, my mom said, “We should’ve found a little kid to bring with us!” and there was certainly some truth to that. I occasionally felt like certain scenes and moments were a tad long, but that extra length meant that a distracted child had a chance to re-engage with a cool projection or interactive moment before it passed by, allowing for not only increased individual inquiry but also more collective moments that sparked joy in every row of the theater. In this increasingly digital era, encouraging the power of imagination in our young feels more relevant than ever. Creative collaboration opens doors to endless possibilities, and Paper Dreams does an excellent job at conveying those possibilities through fun and interactive moments that anyone can understand and appreciate regardless of age. Running Time: 45 minutes, without intermission. Paper Dreams plays weekends through February 16, 2025, at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave, Bethesda, MD. Tickets ($19.50) can be purchased online, in person at Imagination Stage’s box office, or by calling the box office at 301-280-1660. Best for ages 1+. COVID Safety: Masks are optional. Paper Dreams Written and originally directed by Claudia Moreso, Mons Dansa Dance Company (Barcelona, Spain) Directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer Isabella Artino (they/them) is a student at The George Washington University. They’ve been performing in and seeing theater performances since they were young, and they’re very grateful to be able to write for DCTA.