Thanks to a grant from the Heartland Creative Corp., the LightBox Theatre Company — a non-profit theater organization whose mission is to bring quality, professional live drama to the youth in and around Turlock — has announced that it will produce two shows to be presented free of admission to the public and school children.

The original plays, commissioned by LightBox, are “Little Red Robin Hood,” and “Triton Tries to Take Today.” They are set to hit the stage in March and June, respectively.

“This is my dream come true: to provide free original plays to children in our community and pay our artists, actors and staff living wages,” said Stefani Tsai, co-founder and artistic and managing director. “As the only local company whose sole mission is to create professional theater for young audiences, we are grateful to be awarded the grant which allows us to continue to produce plays to entertain and inspire our youth.”

“Little Red Robin Hood,” written by Modesto playwright Nick Zagone, is a mesh-up of classics Little Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood. The play teaches lessons in social justice with humor and song. It will be presented at the Carnegie Arts Center in downtown Turlock to the general public from March 22 through 24. After school shows will be from March 19 to 21.

In Yokanaan Kearns’ latest play commissioned by LightBox, “Triton Tries to Take Today” deals with drought, climate change, flooding and the threat to the food chain. The production is scheduled for June 2024, at a location still to be determined.

2024 is the LightBox Theatre Company’s ninth season since its inception in 2015. The company has produced 16 performances in front of more than 17,000 audience members — mostly school children — at the Carnegie Arts Center. LightBox has also provided acting, directing and theater production opportunities to artists in the Central Valley.

The Heartland Creative Corps. is a grant program designed to provide funding to individual artists and culture bearers and arts and social service organizations in a three-county area. Through United Way of Merced County as the administering organization, Merced County Arts Council, Stanislaus Arts Council and Tuolumne County Arts awarded more than $4.2 million to grant recipients.