There's a theater troupe based in Lansing that prides itself on producing professional quality shows — and the cast and crew are all 18 and under. All-of-us-Express Children's Theatre is on board for its next performance beginning tomorrow at Riverwalk Theatre, 228 Museum Drive in Lansing.

The company is a combination of a theater academy and performing company.

The children learn about theater while putting their skills to work.

There are about 75 children taking part in the upcoming show, including those working backstage. Members of the troupe come from neighboring Lansing cities and as far away as Saline.

In "Just So Stories," the company will enact tales from Rudyard Kipling, who is best known for "The Jungle Book." "Just So Stories" is a collection of short stories that Kipling heard as a child in India. There's one about how the elephant got his trunk and another about how rhinos got wrinkled skin.

Seneca Shaffer, 14, plays the rhinoceros in the play. She has been involved in All-of-us-Express for six years.

"I like the fact that there's a lot of kids to talk to ... They're all pretty much my age," she said.

The two main characters are an older sister who is studying to be a doctor and her younger sister who she is baby-sitting. The younger sister helps rekindle her older sister's imagination through the stories.

The short stories have their own contained morals, but there is an overall theme that exists in the interaction between two sisters.

"It's a story that has a lot to do with creating and imagining ... it's a reminder not to forget the child in all of us," said Evelyn Weymouth, artistic director of All-of-us-Express.

Weymouth said the show is appropriate for anyone age 4 and older, but the language of the play might be a little complicated for younger children to understand.

"It's just a denser kind of language than kids are used to hearing, but that's part of the fun of the stories," she said.

She explained that even though the poetic language can be difficult for children, there is enough going on visually to help them understand what's happening.

"While they're watching all the visual stuff, the language is coming into their head. It's like an adult watching Shakespeare," she said.

Performances are Friday through Sunday and May 5 through 7. Friday performances are at 7 p.m. and Saturday, and Sunday shows are at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Tickets are $7 for ages 16 and up and $5 for children. For more information, call (517) 482-5700.