(RED BANK, NJ) -- The award-winning Two River Theater has announced performances of +Erba: A Forest in the City, developed by Compagnia TPO and Artistic Directors Francesco Gandi and Davide Venturini, will begin public performances this week in the Marion Huber Theater from March 21-28, 2026.
Step into +Erba: A Forest in the City, an enchanting interactive performance where two dancers and your children co-create a vibrant, ever-changing world. One dancer sketches colorful homes and winding streets, while the other brings the earth to life with trees, insects, and lush green spaces. With breathtaking digital projections, their ideas spring from movement into a magical city that grows, shifts with the seasons, and welcomes children to add color, characters, and imagination. But when a towering factory threatens to chase nature away, young audiences help redesign a brighter, greener future—complete with a joyful "tree concert."
"There's a wonderful saying in the theater: 'Nobody goes to the theater for the first time, somebody takes them,'" says Artistic Director Justin Waldman. "Filled with music, dance, circus, lights, colors, and imagination, A Forest in the City is the PERFECT opportunity to take a little someone to the theater for the first time! We invite you to experience—and be a part of!—the joy and wonder of live performance."
Two River is also excited to share that, as part of the presentation of +Erba: A Forest in the City, there will be free student matinee performances for area grade/grammar schools. As an extension of Two River's Have a Seat program, these performances running March 18-19 and March 24-27 will be offered to school groups free of charge, continuing Two River's dedication of accessible theater for everyone.
"Student matinees are a perfect way to introduce our youngest audiences to the theater," says Director of Education Kate Cordaro. "This joyful interactive piece will be sure to captivate the 'littles' in the audience who will get to experience it with their peers, during the school day! It's a win-win!"
Perfect for ages four and up, +Erba: A Forest in the City is a spellbinding blend of creativity, sustainability, and play. As The Sunday Mail raves, "Children's theatre doesn't get any better than this... the perfect fusion of dance, art and breathtaking digital design."
+Erba: A Forest in the City is performed by with Běla Dobiášová and Valentina Consoli, and features Artistic Direction by Davide Venturini and Francesco Gandi; Engineering by Rossano Monti; Visual Design by Elsa Mersi; Music and Engineering by Francesco Fanciullacci and Federica Camiciola; Costumes by Annamaria Clemente; Props by Livia Cortesi; Collaboration on the Concept and Pedagogical Support by Sandra Goos; and Organization by Valentina Martini and Chiara Saponari, with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
For tickets and more information, click here. For FREE student matinee tickets, contact Alisha Sheth at 732.345.1400 x 1841.
SPONSORSHIP: Two River Theater's 2025/26 Season Sponsor is Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center.
Funding for their education programs comes in part by public support through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and from Investors Foundation, Manasquan Bank Charitable Foundation, OceanFirst Bank Foundation, and The Stone Foundation of New Jersey.
Two River Theater is funded in part by public support through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the State of New Jersey, and the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners. Private support includes American Theatre Wing, Courtyard by Marriott, Edgerton Foundation, Grunin Foundation, Merrill G. & Emita E. Hastings Foundation, Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, MacMillian Family Foundation, Mary Owen Borden Foundation, Molly Pitcher Inn and The Oyster Point Hotel, Monmouth University, Open Heart Yoga, The Shubert Foundation, Triumph Brewing Company, Visiting Nurse Association of NJ Health Group, Zager Fuchs P.C., and other generous funders.
Award-winning Two River Theater, located in Red Bank, New Jersey, is where bold stories inspire imagination and connection. Each season, the theater produces a mix of new plays, reimagined classics, and musicals, along with new work development, education programs for young people, and community engagement events that bring people of all ages together. Across its 80,000-square-foot campus, more than 20,000 students, families, and theater lovers experience Two River's acclaimed productions each year on its two stages: the 343-seat Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater and the flexible 110-seat Marion Huber Theater. The theater also houses state-of-the-art scenic, costume, and property shops.
Two River has launched productions that have reached international audiences, including Be More Chill by Tony Award®nominees Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz—the theater's first Broadway production—which went on to play in London's West End and Japan. Recognized by USA TODAY as one of the "10 Great Places to See a Play," Two River Theater is led by Artistic Director Justin Waldman and Managing Director Nora DeVeau-Rosen.
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