Long Wharf Theatre will present the family comedy The Mischief Makers, by Lowell Swortzell, directed by KristiAnna Smith, as its annual Next Stage production for young audiences, slated for late March.
Performances for the general public will take place Saturday March 24th at 10:30am and 2pm, Sunday March 25th at 2pm, Saturday March 31st at 2pm. School performances will take place March 27th – Friday March 30th with performances at 9:30am and 11:30am. Admission is free for school performances and a suggested donation of $5 for the public performances. The play is suitable for first through eighth graders.
The cast is comprised of Jenn Mello (New York City), Kenneth Murray (West Haven), Tim Stabers (Norwalk), and Aleta Staton (New Haven). In addition to Smith, a Bristol native, the creative team is comprised of Marissa Friedman (Assistant Director/Dramaturg, New Haven), Luke Reinwald (Set Design, Branford), Jason Pratt (Lighting Design, Atkinson, NH), Abbey Steere (Costume Design, Manchester, NH), Darlene Richardson (Sound Design, Baltimore, MD), Craig Harlow (Props, East Haven). The stage manager is Maria DiFabbio of Guilford. The technical director is Gordon Granger of Mamaroneck, NY.
Stuck forever together on their totem pole in a beautiful part of the woods, Anansi the Spider, Reynard the Fox, and the Raven can’t decide who among them is the most clever – in short, the trickiest of them all. With tricksters’ pride, the trio argues, reenacting their most fanciful and amazing exploits, learning in the meantime that laughter can indeed change the world. African, Native American and European folklore comes together to create a fun and fantastical evening of theatre for the whole family. “Kids will enjoy the elements of surprise. Just when they think they know what’s coming, when they think they know the characters, some different and exciting thing happens. The characters are larger than life,” said Director of Education Annie DiMartino.
Smith sees storytelling – a fundamental theme of this play – as a universal human activity, crossing all ethnic boundaries. “Telling stories is something that connects all of us. I hope that this play will show children the magic and the importance of passing down certain tales from generation to generation,” she said.
In addition, in an effort to improve accessibility, Long Wharf Theatre will be offering sign-language performance of this production on Saturday March 31st at 2pm.
The Next Stage program is a program for early career theatre professionals.
For more information about Long Wharf Theatre’s Education Department, visit www.longwharf.org or 203-787-4282.
