Hamilton (Ohio) – All kinds of things lie beneath the surface.

The Fitton Center and Lexington Children’s Theatre team up to unearth a few of them with Digging Up Dessa, the first show in the 2022-2023 Fitton Family Fridays series at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23.

Dessa is a 21st-century girl with no shortage of struggles, secrets and mysteries to solve. From dinosaur bones to hidden memories, the world is filled with buried treasures just waiting to be uncovered. With help from her once-rival, Nilo, Dessa works to unearth the secrets hidden beneath the surface of the past and present, as well as her own future.

“There’s magic when the lights go out in a theater and come back up on a different world,” Fitton Center Executive Director Ian Mackenzie-Thurley said. “To see live performers create something in real time right in front of you is an unforgettable experience, especially for our younger audiences.

“We are committed to keeping the prices affordable and these multigenerational family experiences accessible to everyone. This is far and away the best entertainment value around. Dinner and a live show for under $10? You just can’t beat it.”

Helen Killius, LCT marketing and sales manager, agreed.

“I think the Fitton Center does noble work providing an engaging experience for families and students that is very affordable,” she said. “We are so happy to share in it. Having that long-term partnership is a really nice guaranteed relationship that feels very personal to LCT.” 

In fact, LCT practically owns resident company status at the Fitton Center, opening and closing the Fitton Family Friday series last season with The Little Mermaid and Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, respectively. The company returns April 7, 2023, to round out the current season with its production of The Legend of John Henry.

“They produce quality shows - both classic and contemporary - that are engaging visually and theatrically,” Mackenzie-Thurley said. “They have mastered the art of connecting with a young audience while still entertaining the parents and grandparents who bring the kids.”

“I think the touring company at LCT is vital because it brings live theater outside of our building,” Killius said. “I think it is so valuable to be able to provide that service in a way that invites viewers that are possibly outside our direct reach to interact with stories we care about.”

“I am so excited that we get to partner with Fitton Center specifically, because I know the center values our creative content. It is such a joy to know I can send actors to a place (and) know they will be treated with respect and care. That is for sure not taken for granted.”

LCT actually has two shows on the road this fall – Dessa and the familiar fable of Puss In Boots. The company provides theatre experiences and arts education for about 130,000 children annually. As an economic engine, LCT employs 40 to 60 actors, teachers, administrators, technicians, designers, company members, professional interns and other artists each year.

Tickets to Digging up Dessa are $6 for Fitton Center members and $8 for the general public. They include kid-friendly food served in the Carruthers Signature Ballroom by our catering partner, Two Women In A Kitchen, starting at 6:30 p.m.

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.