Widener

academics

freshbaked theatre co.

2007-08 Season:

Hansel and Gretel,
The Little Brother and the Little Sister

Alumni Auditorium
November 7 @ 9:30 am
November 9 @ 12:30 noon
November 11 & 18 @ 2:00 pm

Admission: non-perishable food to benefit Chester-area food banks
Ages 6 and up

Award-winning children’s playwright Max Bush draws upon the Grimm Brothers’ original manuscripts for this version of the classic story about a brother, a sister, and a mysterious witch. Our production—which features original music composed by Widener University student Brian DiBiagio—is inspired by a uniquely American era—the Great Depression of the 1930s. During this period, America’s children endured desperate hunger and poverty, even vagrancy, as families were torn apart. In such a world, children can no longer rely on adults to feed and nurture them. Abandoned in the woods, Hansel and Gretel must rely on their own inner strength and courage to survive.

The Arkansaw Bear by Aurand Harris

Alumni Auditorium
April 15 & 16 at 9:30 am (schoool matinees)

April 20 & 27 at 2:00 pm (open to the public)

Admission: a non perishable food item to benefit Chester hunger programs

Appropriate for ages 8 and up

A little girl named Tish struggles to accept her grandfather's death. She runs into the woods to her special tree and meets a dancing bear, who resolves to teach his dances to a little bear so a part of him will keep living on. By the end of the play, Tish learns an important lesson -- that her grandfather has left a little of himself with her.

Blending realism and fantasy, pathos and humor, The Arkansaw Bear is a wonderful way for children to learn about loss, grieving, and remembering the special people in their lives.

Aurand Harris is one of the most produced playwrights for young audiences in the United States, with more than 30 published plays to his credit. Before his death in 1996, he was the first children's playwright to receive a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. His widely revered plays include The Arkansaw Bear, Androcles and the Lion, Rags to Riches, The Tobey Show, Pinballs, and The Orphan Train .

CONTACT INFORMATION

Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale
Director
tel: 610-499-4341
ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu

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