Nancy Churnin

The first time Kineta Massey starred as Lilly, the little mouse in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, for the Dallas Children's Theater in 2002, her mother said: "What do you mean you're acting? This is you as a 5-year-old child!"

It seems Ms. Massey used to refer to herself as queen of the universe, while Lilly calls herself the queen of everything.

Ms. Massey, now 30, will play Lilly again when the DCT opens its 25th season tonight with the stage adaptation of three Kevin Henkes picture books about a bossy young rodent with a very special purse.

Ms. Massey grew up at the children's theater. She started taking classes when she was 11, the year she made her debut in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

After studying at the Los Angeles Theatre Academy and touring for Missoula Children's Theatre, she returned to DCT, where she has played the spoon that runs away with the dish in Goodnight Moon, the blue dog in Go, Dog. Go! and the cat and the doll in If You Give a Pig a Party.

She also teaches classes at the theater. And as she's been rehearsing to play Lilly, her young students have been teaching her as much as she's been teaching them.

"I'm constantly taking notes on what they're doing and how they react," she says. "I'm much more patient when they bring in things to share like a pen or a paper clip that they've decided is really special."

Like Lilly, Ms. Massey has a little brother. But in Ms. Massey's case, brother Caleb is grown up and the properties master for the theater. And he can't resist teasing her, she says.

"There's a letter I have to read onstage in a moment where I have to get emotional," she says. "He'll write things on the letter like, 'Hello. I see you!' and I have to try not to crack up.

MORE FUN WITH PURSES

Lilly loves her purple plastic purse. And girls ages 5-11 who want to model purses or see girls modeling a Gucci, Prada or purple plastic purse on loan from Stanley Korshak can attend a fundraiser for the theater on Sept. 28 after the 4:30 p.m. show. Dinner will be provided by the Purple Cow.

A "Clutch" participation for $50 per person includes a ticket to the play and admission to the fashion show. A "Tote" participation for $500 includes five tickets to the play and participation in the fashion show for one girl.

Call the DCT Development Department at 214-978-0110 or click "Support Us" at www.dct.org.

ADVICE FROM STUDENTS

Three of Kineta Massey's students offer her some advice on playing Lilly.

•LEXIE REARDON, 7, Dallas

Lexie, who took a class with Ms. Massey last year, is looking forward to going with her Brownie troop to see her teacher perform.

On how 5-year-olds act: "Very, very nuts."

Why she thinks her teacher can do it: "I have seen her in If You Give a Pig a Party, and she was really good."

What she's excited about: "I saw some pictures of the costumes, and I really want to see them up close."

•TIMOTHY L. OWENS II, 6, Sunnyvale

Timothy has been taking classes with Ms. Massey since 2005.

Advice on acting like Lilly: "Well, she can get in trouble a lot just like I did last year when I was 5."

Differences between Ms. Massey and Lilly: "She doesn't write mean notes. She has a lot more friends than Lilly – a lot more!"

Why he wants to see her perform: "She is really funny. She is good at playing young characters, and she will change the story a little and not keep it the same."

•MANON McCOLLUM, 6, Dallas

Manon took classes with Ms. Massey in summer 2007.

Advice on acting like Lilly: "I think she'd just be free, silly and just like every other 5-year-old that was in her class."

Differences between Ms. Massey and Lilly: "First, she's not a mouse. And another thing I want to share – she is not the age of 5."

What she's looking forward to: "I think she's going to be a good dancer."