Best Children's Theater

Nearly 20,000 area children saw the 40-minute "mini-play" As You Like It -- Lickety-Split, adapted by Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis education coordinator Christopher Limber and performed by a nimble cast of five actors. Touring to 90-plus schools, the program introduced students to Shakespeare, encouraged post-performance discussion and provided educational material for teachers. An even shorter Lickety-Split was performed twice nightly in Forest Park at the Shakespeare Festival in June, introducing children of all ages to the play's plot and characters. Months earlier, the teen-focused arm of the festival's education program, Metro Youth Shakespeare, gave us a wildly creative two-night production of As You Like It directed, acted and designed by youth from nine area middle and high schools, who made use of a variety of settings, from the Wild West to a playground to hippie weddings. All the world's indeed a stage, and St. Louis students are getting a seriously fun education in world affairs thanks to the Education Programs of the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis. For more information, check out the festival's Web site, www.sfstl.com, or call 314-361-0101.