Both the Alliance

Theatre Company and The Center for Puppetry Arts are opening new shows

for children to kick off the new year.

"Pinocchio

3.5," a modern retelling of the classic tale, will be performed at

Alliance Theatre, while The Center for Puppetry Arts presents "Rainforest

Adventures."

"Pinnochio

3.5" is the story of Gill Bates, a lonely computer designer, who

builds a robot named Pinnochio to keep him company. Much of the story

remains the same with a few small exceptions. Monstro the whale has been

replaced by a giant metal recycler, and Pinnochio's growing nose has been

replaced with antennae, red flashing lights and buzzers.

The play is

set on a giant computer screen and the costumes are done in Japanase "anime"

style. The play was written by Eric Coble, a staff writer for "Footlight

Parade," heard weekly on classical music stations, and is an occasional

contributor to NPR. Rosemary Newcott, artistic director of Theatre for

Youth, directs the show.

"As we

journey along with Pinnochio on his quest to become a real boy, we wonder

what and who is real or unreal in this cyber world," remarked Newcott.

"Do we control machines or do they control us? Finally, we learn

that true actions, motivated by true emotions, are always real."

"Pinnochio

3.5" will be presented Saturdays, Jan. 12 and 19 at 2:30 p.m., Sundays,

Jan. 13, 20 and 27 at 2:30 and 5 p.m. Saturdays, Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 at

2:30 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 3 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 for

children and $15 for adults. Phone the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office

at 404-733-5000 for tickets or visit the theater on the Web at www.alliancetheatre.org .

"Rainforest

Adventures" gives audiences a peek into the day-to-day life of a

rainforest. Each animal and plant, announced by a voice-over narrator,

appears against the backdrop of a lush paradise. A giant magnifying glass

swings in from offstage and details the evolution of tadpoles and butterflies

and the like. Other animals that take part in the show are manatees, monkeys,

eels, bats and toucans.

"Rainforest

Adventures" evolved from the 1992 show "Canopy," which

was presented at Fernbank Museum of Natural History as a complement to

the exhibit "Tropical Rainforests: A Disappearing Treasure."

All of the scenes from "Canopy" are still in the show, but 10

new scenes have been added and there are many new puppets as well.

Show times

for "Rainforest Adventures" are Jan. 10-Feb. 10: Tuesday-Friday

at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Saturdays at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. and Sunday

at noon and 2 p.m. Performance times Feb. 12-March 17 are Tuesday-Friday

at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Sunday at

1 p.m.

Tickets are

$10 for ages 2 and older and include admission to the show, a create-a-puppet

workshop and the museum. Children ages 5 and up will get the chance to

participate in the create-a-puppet workshop and create a talking toucan

hand puppet.

Phone 404-873-3391.

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