Imagine what would happen if you invited the acrobats of Taiwan to your house. It probably wouldn’t be long before they were picking up your tables and chairs and gathering together stacks of plates and lots of bottles, because they love to use ordinary objects to perform their extraordinary feats. On stage they spin plates without breaking any, and they lie on their backs and juggle all sorts of things with their feet. They jump through hoops of knives, too. In fact, they sometimes do it while they’re wearing blindfolds. One acrobat even does a handstand on the tip top of a stack of chairs balanced on four bottles. But the acrobats are not the first to perform these daring tricks. They are part of a tradition of folk arts that date back more than 2,000 years. National Acrobats of Taiwan, 3 p.m. Sunday, Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., $20-$33 adults, $15-$28 children; 312-902-1500.
— Nancy Maes
Little Bear
Children know Little Bear from the books written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak and from the Little Bear TV series on Nick Jr. Now they can see him in a 90-minute musical stage production. During the show Little Bear and his friends will sing songs such as “Come See the World” and “Adventure Today” as they experience the excitement of exploring new places and discover the wonders of nature, the value of friendship and the comfort of home. Children in the audience will have plenty of chances to participate in the show. “Little Bear Live on Stage,” noon and 3 p.m. Saturday, Centre East, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, $22 adults, $18 children; 847-673-6300.
— Nancy Maes
Boy’s adventure
Immerse yourself in the inspiring family-oriented production “Where the Red Fern Grows” Saturday. This professional theatrical presentation features the talented Omaha Theater Company for Young People. The play follows the friendship between a boy and his two dogs as they search for adventure along the dark hills and river bottoms of Oklahoma’s Cherokee country. Erin Slattery, of Jim Henson Productions, designed the two main dog puppets. “Where the Red Fern Grows,” 2 p.m. Saturday, Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake, $10 to $12; 815-356-9212.
— Stephanie Price
