Actors from ArtsPower in “Laura Ingalls Wilder” on Sun., Feb. 7 at Westport Country Playhouse.
Westport Country Playhouse announces its 2010 Family Festivities Series, featuring “Laura Ingalls Wilder,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Are You My Mother?” and “I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Tickets purchased before November 15, 2009, are $12; $15 thereafter.
Opening the 2010 season will be the musical “Laura Ingalls Wilder,” presented by ArtsPower, on Sunday, February 7, 1 and 4 p.m. Laura and her family travel across America in search of a place they can call home. Facing obstacles such as scarlet fever and eviction from their land, their pioneering spirit and family bonds are tested but never broken. This uplifting story of one of America’s most beloved authors comes to life in ArtsPower’s popular musical, appropriate for grades 2 – 6.
“Charlotte’s Web,” presented by Theatreworks on Sunday February 28, 1 and 4 p.m., is based on E. B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte. Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up as pork chops! Charlotte, a fine writer and true friend, hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman. She will create a “miracle.” Spinning the words “Some Pig” in her web, Charlotte weaves a solution which not only makes Wilbur a prize pig, but ensures his place on the farm forever. This treasured tale, featuring mad-cap and endearing farm animals and exploring bravery, selfless love and the true meaning of friendship, is appropriate for grades K – 5.
The musical, “Are You My Mother,” presented by ArtsPower on Sunday, March 28, 1 and 4 p.m., is appropriate for grades K – 2. At long last, Baby Bird emerges from her shell and expects to be greeted by her mother’s song. But her mother is not there. Where is she? Why isn’t she home? With the help of Dog, Cat and Hen, Baby Bird sets out in search of Mother Bird in this colorful musical adventure based on P. D. Eastman’s whimsical and well-loved picture book.
“I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” presented by Theatre IV on Sunday, April 11, 1 and 4 p.m., is appropriate for grades 3 – 12. Written by Bruce Craig Miller, the play chronicles the phenomenal impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in a compelling dramatization of the life and times of one of the most influential and charismatic leaders of the “American Century.” Dr. King becomes the prime mover behind the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, putting his philosophy of nonviolent protest to work. Young people will be inspired by the story of this great leader’s struggle and his dream of lifting “our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.”
Pre-show activities, for which reservations are required, begin one hour before the performances at noon and 3 p.m. Birthday party facilities may be scheduled in advance.
About the Playhouse
Westport Country Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater, serves as a treasured home for the performing arts and is a cultural landmark for Connecticut. Under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos and management direction of Michael Ross, the Playhouse creates quality productions of new and classic plays that enlighten, enrich and engage a diverse community of theater lovers, artists and students. The Playhouse’s rich history dates back to 1931, when New York theatre producer Lawrence Langner created a Broadway-quality stage within an 1830s tannery. The Playhouse quickly became an established stop on the New England “straw hat circuit” of summer stock theatres. Now celebrating its 79th season, Westport Country Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 36 of which later transferred to Broadway, most recently the world premiere of "Thurgood" and a revival of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" with Paul Newman, and in earlier years "Come Back, Little Sheba" with Shirley Booth, "The Trip to Bountiful" with Lillian Gish, and "Butterflies Are Free" with Keir Dullea and Blythe Danner. For its artistic excellence, the Playhouse received a 2005 Governor's Arts Award and a 2000 "Connecticut Treasure" recognition. It was also designated as an Official Project of Save America's Treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is entered on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places. Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse transformed into a year-round, state-of-the-art producing theater, which has preserved its original charm and character. In addition to a full season of theatrical productions, the Playhouse serves as a community resource, presenting educational programming and workshops; a children's theater series; symposiums; music; films; and readings.
Tickets to Westport Country Playhouse’s Family Festivities are $12 per ticket if purchased by November 15, 2009; $15 thereafter. Everyone in the audience requires a ticket. Groups of 10 or more save up to 30% off the regular ticket price. For group sales information call (203) 227-5137, x120.
For more information or to receive a Family Festivities brochure, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit the box office at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport, or www.westportplayhouse.org.
