ARIEL Theatrical’s Wilson Children’s Theatre

320 Main St., Salinas

775-0976, www.arieltheatrical.org

When the lights go down and a play begins, the audience has entered into a compact: We will suspend reality for as long as the actors don’t betray it, we will do our best to not disrupt others’ attention, we will not yell “Watch out!” when Brutus closes in with his final lethal embrace of Caesar. There is an exemption to this compact: kids. So the rear entrance/exit/escape hatch at Wilson Children’s Theatre in Oldtown Salinas is a blessing for parents whose child is about to melt down, needs to use the potty or just wants to go home. It happens. When it happens at ARIEL, parents can creep up the stairs out of everyone’s sight-line, and slip out the back.