Word for WordPLAY
Discover the magic of Word for Word, where timeless books
come to life for audiences of all ages.
Word for Word has expanded its unique approach of bringing literature to the stage with Word for WordPLAY, a new program for children and their families. Word for WordPLAY is a space where the power of play, self-expression, and imagination takes center stage—inviting families to connect, laugh, and explore together through the magic of literature and theater.
Word for WordPLAY offers a series of family events that include performances of stories along with other creative activities like theater games, creative craft making, paper snowball fights, face-painting, juggling, puzzles, and more all around fun.
Upcoming Word for WordPLAY Events
Spooky Fam Jam!
A Word for WordPLAY Event
Saturday, October 31st @ 11am
Join Word for WordPLAY at Z Space for a spine-tingling, fun-filled adventure where imaginations run wild! Gather the family for spooky storytelling with Word for WordPLAY’s Director, Gendell Hing-Hernández, who will delight kids and adults alike. Come for the stories, stay for the fun, and try out your costume before heading out for trick-or-treating! Experience our spooky storytelling and don't miss this chance to step into a world where suspense meets creativity.
Word for WordPLAY’S 2027 Season
Saturday, Feb 20: Story Pop! The Avalanche Kingdom by Dave Eggers. 2pm at Z Space. Staged Reading.
Saturday, March 13th & 20th: Drop-in Classes. For the adventurous, curious, and brave. Saturdays at 10am at Z Space.
Saturday, April 10: Story Pop! A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Angle* 2pm at Z Space. Staged Reading.
Saturday, May 22: Story Pop! One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia*. 2pm at Z Space. Staged Reading.
Saturday, June 26: Summer (Pride) FamJam! Be proud, be you! 11am at Z Space.
Coming Feb 2028
Fully Staged Production @ Z Space, Steindler Stage. (Show to be selected from Story Pop! Series)
*Rights Pending
About Our Events:
Story Pops! - Word for WordPLAY’s’ Story Pop! 'is just like Word for Word’s beloved “grown-up” Off the Page staged reading series—only for the whole family! Watch a company of actors begin to bring the magic of the book to life word for word. Enjoy this creative leap off the page and onto our stage for the first time!
Fam Jams! - Playdates for the whole family, onstage and in our lobby, with creative play stations, theater games, and a joyful introduction to literature. Seasonal editions include Summer, Winter and a Spooky Fam Jam each October.
Full Productions! - Watch as a Story Pop! title grows into a fully staged production at Z Space, with the acting, staging and design Word for Word is known for. Shows run three to four weeks and include student matinees for school groups and special partner events, including meeting the author. Our 2026 debut, Dave Eggers’ The Eyes & the Impossible, made this exact journey from page to reading to stage.
Youth Classes! - Youth explore stories, poems, songs, and books through Word for Word’s unique and playful performance style. Participants build the confidence needed to dig into literature and make bold, imaginative choices that honor the world of the author.
Past Shows
In early 2026, Word for WordPLAY premiered its first production The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers, bringing the same great acting, staging, and design that you've come to expect from Word for Word.
Our approach of using every word from beloved texts brought the infinite creative possibilities of literature and theater to a new generation.
For merch, visit: https://wordforwordplay.printify.me/
MORE About WORD FOR WORD PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY
BRINGING LITERATURE TO LIFE THROUGH THEATER
For more than three decades, Word for Word Performing Arts Company has developed a distinctive form of theater that brings literature fully to life onstage—without changing a word of the original text. Through inventive staging, physical storytelling, and a highly skilled ensemble, Word for Word transforms narration, description, dialogue, and even the inner life of a character into theatrical action. Critics have celebrated this singular approach as innovative, imaginative, and deeply attentive to the power of language.
MORE ABOUT WORD FOR WORDPLAY
TAKING YOU FROM PAGE TO PLAY - CONTINUING WORD FOR WORD’S LEGACY
Word for WordPLAY extends that artistic legacy to children and families. Designed to make literature a place for play, self-expression, imagination, creative courage and ensemble based problem solving, the program invites young audiences not simply to watch stories, but to step inside them and continue the literary journey themselves. Through performances, workshops, theater games, creative activities, and hands-on exploration, Word for WordPLAY creates joyful pathways into literature while helping young people develop confidence, communication, collaboration, and developing their own creative voices.
We at Word for WordPLAY believe that sophisticated literature can be playful, accessible, physical, funny, surprising, and welcoming. Rather than asking young audiences to sit quietly outside a story, Word for WordPLAY gives them tools to enter it.
We believe that through play, we discover who we are, explore the world around us, and find our voices. Through “play” we build the skills necessary to communicate, connect, imagine, and help shape the world we want to live in.
