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“Twinkle Tames a Dragon” Comes to Brooklyn!

Twinkle Tames a Dragon

Katharine Holabird‘s “Twinkle Tames a Dragon” will be at On Stage at Kingsborough in Brooklyn, February 5th. Holabird is the creator of “Angelina Ballerina,” the beloved twirling mouse that you surely have had the pleasure of reading to your children. Check out our interview with Katharine about her work and her newest endeavor: the theatrical coming-to-life of the character, “Twinkle.”

“Twinkle, Pippa, and Lulu have always wanted a pet and are thrilled when Fairy Godmother grants their wish. While Pippa and Lulu get cute little pets, a naughty pet dragon named Scruffy is NOT what Twinkle had in mind! Can Twinkle tame her dragon in time for Fairy Pet Day?”  

Tell us about Twinkle Tames a Dragon, and why you think families will love to see it. “Twinkle Tames a Dragon” is a great kid’s show – what’s not to love about a fairy and a dragon?! The show is based on my new book series about a scatterbrained fairy named Twinkle. Twinkle really wants a pet, but a young dragon is NOT what she has in mind! There’s lots of magic and mayhem in the show, plus great songs, and as Twinkle discovers how to tame her mischievous dragon there’s tons of fun for both girls and boys.

When you were young, did you ever know that you would be such a huge part of so many childrens’ storytime lives? I loved reading and books when I was young, and telling stories came naturally. My sisters and I spent hours making up stories and acting them out, so I had good early training as a writer!  I had no idea that one day my stories would have so many little fans around the world. It’s truly thrilling, and a great honor.

Much of your work centers around friendship, collective thinking, and trust. Tell us why you like those themes. I write about the themes and emotions that children experience in their daily lives. Children may be small, but they experience big emotions – and growing up isn’t easy! I hope my stories will nourish children’s imaginations, help them to express and understand their emotions in a positive way, and inspire them to read, to dance, and to dream.
How many projects would you say you’re usually working on at one time, and how do you know when one is really going to take off? It’s not unusual to have two or three things on my desk, and it’s fun to go from Angelina and Mouseland to Twinkle and the Sparkle Tree Forest. I do a lot of rewriting, but the ‘Aha’ moment usually comes early on, when the story suddenly has a life of it’s own. If that doesn’t happen, then it’s back to the drawing board.

If you had any message for our parent readers about communicating with their children- what would it be? Whenever you can, let your children take you into their imaginative world, and let yourself be a child again – it’s very liberating!

 If you want to see Katharine Holabird’s new character Twinkle come to life, Vital Theatre Company’s Twinkle Tames a Dragon will be at On Stage at Kingsborough in Brooklyn on February 5.
Rebecca Conroy grew up in NYC, has been a Brooklynite for 20 years, and is now the mom of two incredible young kids. Aside from writing, she works in photo and film production and has a rich history in the visual arts. Being a Teaching Artist in NYC’s public school system for years has allowed her to work closely with children and her community.