As a child, I wanted to grow up to be Gilda Radner. Decades before the V-Chip, there were liberal babysitters and older siblings who wanted to watch SNL. Thus, I felt that I had struck gold when Saturday night rolled around. 

At far too tender an age, I was watching and memorizing the Rosanne Rosanna Danna bits, annoyed for my heroine, by Jane Curtin's interruptions. Did I mention that I was too young for this? Well, the dirty stuff goes over your head at age eight, right? Regardless, for the summer camp 4th of July talent show, I would declare some unwitting bunkmate "Jane", crimp my hair the day before (using the old school wet braids), and morph into Maine's only pint-sized Rosanne impersonator. I had a ball. Soon thereafter, I officially became the luckiest girl in the world; I got to see Gilda's one woman show on Broadway. I marveled at her ability to make me laugh with all of those characters.

Fast forwarding a decade or two, Gilda continued to inspire a couple of turns in community theatre comedies. Consequently, when creating the Contagious LaughterTM  Box Office kids lunchbox, I wanted to share with children my love of performance, both watching and participating. With the fairy tale finger puppets, kids can create their own epic tale, along the lines of The Princess Bride (remember the Fire Swamp and Rodents of Unusual Size?), Shrek or Ella Enchanted. This lunchbox also includes Play Bill's recorder flute and song, face paint with brush, a clown nose, and a felt jester hat. There is just something about a prop that brings out the performer within.

Furthermore, a performance-themed kids lunchbox offers a change from movies or books; children can direct their own tales, from beginning to end. With the face paint, they can even embody the next big super hero. Or they can just play and have some hammy fun--no hair crimping required.