The Day John Henry Came to School

Imagination Stage
4908 Auburn Avenue Bethesda

Johnny is way into video games and not especially motivated at school. Imagine his surprise one night when there's a loud knock at the door and his ancestor John Henry bursts into his bedroom, wielding a 12 lb hammer and insisting that he will visit Johnny's class the next day for "Show & Tell." At first unimpressed by John Henry's tragic tale about his race with the steam engine, the kids in Johnny's class come to appreciate the importance of his ultimate sacrifice. The award-winning playwright of Lost & Foundling (seen here in 2008) has created another witty and insightful contemporary comedy. Enjoyed by ages 7+

Thru - May 29, 2011

The Day John Henry Came to School Reviews

Average Rating based on 2 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended

"...Or so holds “The Day John Henry Came to School,” Eric Pfeffinger’s adventurous, if slightly under-polished, new children’s comedy, which argues for the superiority of the real world over the virtual realm, and for the preeminence of human effort over that bells-and-whistles technology stuff. Recommended for ages 7 and up, the play is making its world premiere at Imagination St age, which appears to have missed a major marketing opportunity by not arranging for cross-promotions with Amtrak and Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign."

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- Celia Wren

DCTheatreScene - Somewhat Recommended

Even in this age of iPads, mobile apps and handheld computer games, show-and-tell still holds an irresistible allure for grade-schoolers. The Day John Henry Came to School, a world-premiere play by Eric Pfeffinger debuting at Imagination Stage, affirms the triumph of man over machine.

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- Jayne Blanchard

The Day John Henry Came to School at Imagination Stage