The children’s play “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” weaves a timeless lesson about true beauty through a story energetically told through traditional African song and dance.

In the play the daughters of Mufaro vie for the affections of a king, undergoing a series of tests that show who is not only beautiful on the outside but also inside.

One daughter, more in tune with nature and more sensitive, caring and generous, ultimately wins the heart of the king. In this tale the gentle beauty is chosen, said play director Robyn Flatt.

The play, adapted by Karen Abbott from a book by John Steptoe, comes to Texarkana’s Perot Theatre to entertain kids on Wednesday. Tickets are still available for one of the two performances that day.

The production will arrive in town courtesy of the Dallas Children’s Theater, a much-heralded company kicking off its 25th anniversary season.

“‘Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters’ is a wonderful folk tale,” said Flatt, who is also the DCT founding director. She said “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” has been compared to the Cinderella tale.

Taking place in Zimbabwe, the play is geared to grades 3 through 6, but Flatt said it’s the kind of play the whole family can enjoy.

She said it’s a wonderful teaching tool because even though we can present ourselves cleverly it’s the qualities inside that come through.

“It’s a feast of color, of texture, of costumes, design, music and dance. It’s a beautiful story, a charming cast,” said Flatt.

The music, she said, has an amazingly textured quality as part of the show.

Flatt said for parents it’s a look at the challenges faced when raising children and for children it gives an understanding of the series of challenges to be faced.

“It’s a very upbeat, exciting piece,” she said.

Flatt said “Mufaro’s Beautiful Children” is the largest family programming tour of its kind in the country this year. And this is DCT’s 14th national tour.

The theater company, which comes to Texarkana often, typically performs about 400 shows a year, often running two or three shows at a time.

“We use adult, professional actors performing for the youth and family audience,” Flatt said.



(Tickets: $5. Tickets available for the 12:30 p.m. performance. For more information and tickets, call Shelia Smith of the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council at 903-792-8681.)