>> CATHY: A BRAND-NEW SEASON HAS KICKED OFF FOR THE CHILDREN'S THEATRE COMPANY.

CTC'S CURRENT PRODUCTIONS INCLUDE "ROALD DAHL'S THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE," A SPRAWLING MUSICAL FILLED WITH DANCING AND PUPPETS.

AMONG THEM, AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, IS A BIG SNAPPING CROCODILE.

AND THE SEASON STARTED THIS SEPTEMBER WITH "TREASURE ISLAND."

BRINGING AUDIENCES PIRATES, SWORD FIGHTS, AND MUSIC.

AT THE HELM THIS YEAR AS DIRECTOR OF "TREASURE ISLAND" IS RICK DILDINE, CTC'S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.

IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK.

WE HAD I YOU A FEW MONTHS AGO.

YOUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECT THE CHILDREN'S THEATRE.

YOU'RE USED TO DIRECTING SHAKESPEARE.

>> SO IT'S KIND OF SURPRISING I CHOSE TREASURE ISLAND, A NICE CLASSIC, LANGUAGE-DRIVEN STORY.

SO, YES, DIRECTING DEBUT N THE TWIN CITIES, I WANTED TO PICK SOMETHING ADVENTUROUS, SOMETHING UPBEAT, AND THIS REALLY HELPED SHOWCASE WHO I AM AS A STORYTELLER.

>> Eric: I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING, ONE OF THE CLIPS I SAW ONLINE, YOU'RE MAKING THIS KIND OF A PLEA FOR KIDS TO LIMIT THEIR SCREEN TIME.

>> YEAH,th, IT'S A CALL TO ACTION TO GO OUT AND HAVE AN ADVENTURE.

GO OUT AND FIND YOUR OWN JOY.

PUT THE SCREEN DOWN AND GO OUT AND MAKE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.

>> Cathy: WHAT WAS THE ADVENTURE FOR YOU IN THIS PARTICULAR PRODUCTION?

>> WELL, I GREW UP ON A FARM IN RURAL ARKANSAS IN THE '80s, SO WE HAD TO MAKE OUR OWN FUN A LOT OF TIMES.

AND WHAT I DID WAS, YOU KNOW, I WAS RAWN TO THIS YOUNG BOY WHO LIVES A PRETTY SMALL EXISTENCE, AND THEN ONE DAY A PIRATE, WHO'S ABOUT TO DIE, PUTS A TREASURE MAP IN HIS HAND.

AND SAYS, "GO FIND THE TREASURE."

THAT, FOR ME, IT'S A GREAT SENSE OF JOY TO THROW YOURSELF INTO SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW.

>> Eric: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES DEALING WITH THESE YOUNG ACTORS?

ARE THEY PRETTY HIP, PRETTY SMART?

DO THEY TAKE DIRECTION?

>> THEY KEEP E ON MY TOES.

YEAH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY ARE LOOKING AT THIS TEXT WITHOUT CYNICISM.

YOU KNOW?

THEY'RE OOKING AT IT RIGHT IN THE MOMENT OF HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT IT, IT KEEPS ME ON MY TOES, KEEPS ME SHARP, AND IT'S AN ABSOLUTE JOY TO GO TO WORK EVERY DAY.

>> Eric: HAVE THEY GOT CHOPS?

>> OH, YES, ARE YOU KIDDING ME, ABSOLUTELY!

WE HAVE TWO YOUNG MEN WHO ARE SWITCHING OUT IN THE LEAD ROLE OF "TREASURE ISLAND," AND EVERY DAY THEY AMAZE ME.

THEY COULD EASILY STEP ON ANY STAGE IN NEW YORK.

>> Cathy: WOW!

>> Eric: WOW!

>> EASILY.

>> Cathy: NOW, THE PAST YEAR, I'M SURE IT'S BEEN QUITE INTERESTING, JUST GETTING UP TO THE FIRST-YEAR MARK, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST SURPRISES HERE AT CTC?

>> OH, WOW.

WELL, I'LL SAY FOR THE TWIN CITIES, IT'S JUST THE AMOUNT OF ARTS AND CULTURE HERE, THE COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING COMMUNITY ACTIVES.

YOU KNOW -- ACTIVITIES.

THIS IS THE SIXTH THEATER THAT I'VE LED, I'VE LIVED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND I DON'T THINK I'VE ENCOUNTERED A CITY QUITE LIKE THIS THAT IS JUST SO PROUD OF WHO IT IS AS THE TWIN CITIES BUT WHO IT IS AS MINNESOTA.

>> Eric: HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO COPE WITH WHATEVER FEDERAL FUNDING OR STATE FUNDING DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE?

>> SURE.

YEAH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE LUCKY, WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED OUR FUNDS FOR THE YEAR FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE LUCKY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MANAGE HOSE MOMENTS, BUT THE REAL HIT FOR THAT NATIONAL FUNDING IS THE SMALLER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.

THEY'RE TAKING THE BIG HIT.

>> Cathy: OKAY, SO TALK ABOUT THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE AND THE OTHER PRODUCTIONS WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS YEAR.

>> SO THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE IS REALLY REALLY SPECIAL BECAUSE IT IS OUR FIRST PARTNERSHIP WITH NETFLIX.

NETFLIX ACTUALLY OWNS ALL OF ROAD DAHL'S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, SO WE PARTNERED ITH NETFLIX, THE FIRST NATIONAL TOUR IS LAUNCHING RIGHT HERE IN THE TWIN CITIES.

IT IS ONE HOUR OF ABSOLUTE MAYHEM FUN.

I MEAN, I WATCHED 300 KIDS WATCH THE SHOW TODAY.

IT WAS LIKE A ROCK PARTY.

IT'S INVENTIVE PUPPETRY, AMAZING MUSIC.

AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S COMING OVER FROM LONDON, AND IT'S ABOUT TO GO TO L.A.

AFTER THIS.

AND THEN WE HAVE "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS" AFTER THIS.

>> Eric: WIZARD OF OZ N '26.

>> WIZARD OF OZ, YES.

AND THE GRINCH IS A CHRISTMAS TRADITION.

AND I GREW UP THE ONE TIME OF YEAR IT CAME ON, REALLY CELEBRATING THE NOSTALGIA AND THE TRADITION OF IT.

>> Cathy: EVEN THE FLYING MONKEYS.

>> FLYING MONKEYS, WE'RE LIVING IN POST-WICKED WORLD WITH WIZARD OF OZ NOW.

C THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT.

WE'RE JUST SO CURIOUS.

>> Eric: COME BACK AND SEE US.

>> Cathy: WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.