Thaddeus And 'tila
by José Cruz González

Thaddeus is a frog who dreams of flying.

'Tila is a beautiful crane who yearns to swim.

One day 'Tila, who suffers from bad eyesight, crashes into the marsh where Thaddeus makes his home, and he and Birdie, an aging hummingbird, save her from drowning.

Of course, it's love at first sight.

Thaddeus and 'Tila's friendship blossoms, but the other marsh creatures, including Mos, the bully mosquito, and his sidekick, Sala, a slimy salamander, don't approve of their budding relationship.

Distraught and rejected, 'Tila and Thaddeus leave their home.

But along their journey, they learn of impending danger for their marsh friends—bulldozers are headed there to make way for a new human subdivision.

The two must muster all of their resources to devise a plan that will save the other creatures before the bulldozers arrive.

Thaddeus and 'Tila (A Crane and Frog Tale) was the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park 2004 winner of the Macy's New Play Prize for Young Audiences.

Approximate running time: 50 minutes.

Unit set.