24th STreet Theatre is extending the West Coast premiere of Walking the Tightrope through May 18. A hit with both adult audiences and kids, Walking the Tightrope utilizes poetic language, live music and multi-media to explore themes of love and loss in a highly theatrical, stylized production that has received over two dozen rave reviews and achieved a rating of “100% Sweet” on Bitter Lemons, the Los Angeles-based website that aggregates theater reviews. A “Critic’s Choice” in the Los Angeles Times (“Transcendent…an indelible must-see for all ages”) and “Pick of the Week” in the LA Weekly (“intellectual heft and genuinely involving emotion”) Walking the Tightrope was called, “theater at its best” by The Huffington Post. KCRW radio suggests, “If you've got adventurous kids take them. If not go and experience a simple play beautifully told.”

The deceptively straightforward story concerns young Esme, who visits her grandparents every summer at a seaside resort and is left to wonder why, this year, Nanna isn’t there. On a more complex level, Tightrope explores the deep grief experienced by her grandfather over the death of his wife, and his redemption through the innocence and inherent joy of a young child.

“We have created a piece of art that parents can discuss with their children,” says director Debbie Devine. “Adults and kids get this play on different levels, and that’s the beauty of it. At 24th STreet, we believe that theater for families does not need to be sugarcoated. Too often we underestimate the kinds of material kids are capable of absorbing and appreciating.”

Walking the Tightrope continues through May 18 with performances every Saturday @ 2 pm and @ 7:30 pm. (There will be no 2 pm matinee on May 4 or May 18.) Tickets are $24 for adults; $10 for kids under 16; $15 for students, seniors and teachers; and 24 cents for residents of the theater’s surrounding North University Park neighborhood. 24th STreet Theatre is located at 1117 West 24th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007 (at the intersection of 24th and Hoover). Secure parking is available for $5 in the lot on the southwest corner of 24th and Hoover. The theater is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. For reservations and information, call (213) 745-6516 or go to www.24thstreet.org. For adults and kids (6 and older).