The Studio Presentation Series initiated in the fall of 2009 has succeeded in engaging both patrons and artists. Targeted for specific-aged audiences rather than the wide-reaching family fare of the Main Stage, the series provides community artists with a unique opportunity to participate in the creative process of “trying out” new, more experimental works under the direction of emerging professional artists. This program allows our company to both cultivate new talent and challenge audiences.
Our 2020 Studio Series Season:
SING DOWN THE MOON
Book by Mary Hall Surface. Music by David Maddox. Lyrics by Mary Hall Surface and David Maddox.
January 23-26, 2020
Thursday & Friday at 7:30PM, Saturday at 4:00PM, Sunday at 2:00PM
Journey into the Appalachian Mountains in this award-winning musical that deftly weaves four traditional tales and original music into a keepsake quilt of mountain lore and wisdom for the whole family.
Two “Jack tales” feature the resourceful, clever Jack who climbs a wonder-bean tree to find giants in the sky and who wins the heart of Featherflight, the magical daughter of a devilish trickster. “Catskins” is a spunky Appalachian Cinderella. And in a zany, sung-through “Sow and Her Three Pigs” plucky Nancy the pig outsmarts the hungry fox. This musical play incorporates singing, mountain dances, music and puppets to create a highly theatrical storytelling style. The score, which interweaves music throughout the tales, is inspired by “Old Time” Appalachian music featuring fiddle and banjo that drives the play’s action and makes music itself a character in the play.
Nominated for five Helen Hayes Awards, it was commissioned and originally produced by Theater of the First Amendment, George Mason University’s professional theatre in Fairfax, Virginia. The Washington Times described the show as “excellent entertainment for viewers of all ages, offering adventure, romance, drama and comedy.” The original cast recording was the winner of the Parent’s Guide Award for Children’s Media and the Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio Award.
JUNE 2020 Show
TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
