MINNEAPOLIS, May 16, 2007 -- In the month of March, a play about nutrition called 'The Power of the Pyramid,' performed by the National Theatre for Children and sponsored in part by the MMA, enjoyed a spirited and successful tour of schools across northeastern Minnesota.

"The Power of the Pyramid" made two tours in 2007. The first occurred in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, from January to March. These performances -- 125 shows at 76 elementary schools -- were sponsored by Allina, PreferredOne, and the MMA.

The second tour focused on communities in the northern part of Minnesota, in the final two weeks of March. These performances -- 38 shows in 23 schools -- were sponsored by Medica Foundation, Duluth Children's, the Minnesota Physicians Foundation and the MMA.

Starting with its initial tour begun in December 2005 and concluding the last tour on March 23 of this year, the company performing the play logged many thousands of miles of Minnesota roads.

The premise of the comedy is that a waiter at the Pyramid Restaurant has been given 20 minutes by his boss to learn about fitness or nutrition, or he loses his job. The 20 minutes that follows is a dizzying immersion into the facts about eating right and getting exercise, made all the more dizzying by the presence of a very silly mummy.

Sponsors for the play have released a tour summary report that includes statistics on the most recent tour. Going back to the first performances of "The Power of the Pyramid" in December 2005, 120,880 students, teachers, and parents have attended 551 shows.

Asked to evaluate the value of the play, teachers gave it the equivalent of an A – more than six points on a scale from one to seven.

Teachers liked the play's ability to stimulate classroom discussion, and the fact that the entertainment element made the material easier to remember. Asked if they would be receptive to a similar kind of production in the future, teacher responded with an overwhelming yes.

The play was produced by the National Children's Theatre, which is based in Minneapolis and bills itself as the "largest in-school touring cmpany in North America."

Selected teachers' comments:

"The performers had GREAT energy …"

"Very interactive and held students' interest …"

"The message was clear …"

"Reinforced the same concepts we teach …"

"A great way to draw the children in further …"

"A wonderful learning tool …"

"Simple, easy to remember, and apply to their lives … "