Clayton – TIPAF at the Clayton Opera House welcomes the colorful puppetry of Open Hand Theater’s “The Chocolate War” on Thursday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m.

The play tackles the issue of bullying and offers conflict resolution in a delightful, family-friendly fantasy production. “The Chocolate War” features original music, puppets from 12 inches to 12 feet tall, a magical dwarf, and a wistful moon. Two inseparable pals tumble into a series of haphazard events that lead to a catastrophic quarrel. The puppets become larger and larger as the conflict grows, acting as a visual metaphor that children of all ages can readily understand.

Open Hand Theater, from Syracuse, celebrates the human experience through theater, mask and puppet traditions from around the world. The group creates and tours with original performances throughout Central New York; presents innovative educational programs in traditional and non-traditional settings; operates a theater, as well as a mask and puppet museum on North Salina Street in Syracuse; collaborates with others to strengthen a sense of community in the region.

At noon on May 3, TIPAF has invited 450 area schoolchildren to a free performance of “The Chocolate War” as part of the organization’s Arts in Education programming. Each year, TIPAF provides several live performances to students at no charge, believing that such theater, dance and musical experiences enrich the lives of young people.

For the evening public performance of “The Chocolate War,” reserved seats are $10; general admission seats and tickets for children under the age of 12 are $5.