Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

Growing up, I was not especially fond of my name. It seemed as though at least half of the girls in my school class were named Amanda. One of my favorite books growing up was "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes. This picture book is about a little mouse who doesn't like her name. Her classmates tease her because the name Chrysanthemum is soooo long, doesn't fit on a name tag, and it is the name of a flower.  Even though this fictional mouse and I had different reasons for wishing we had been named something else, I really felt I could relate to Chrysanthemum so I read her story over and over. Plus, the book has darling artwork and is charming and funny.

Really, I love each of Kevin Henkes' books.

When the Utah Children's Theatre announced "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" as part of their season, I was ecstatic.  How amazing would it be to bring one of Kevin Henkes' books to stage?!

Sadly, my schedule didn't allow for me to audition for this play. However, I did have the opportunity to put together some bits of choreography for it and was so happy I could be involved in this production in a small way.

I saw the show's closing performance and enjoyed every minute of it.

I had several dear friends in this show and I was very entertained by each of their performances.

Chantryce made her debut at UCT in this show. With her infectious smile and endless energy, she is a great fit for children's theater!

How cute is Bailey?!

Meighan usually is cast as the evil or mean character. (She is not mean in the least in real life, just a really talented actress.)
She made such a cute mommy mouse.

PS I appreciate my name much more now that I am older and feel I found the perfect fit for me in the nickname Mandi.