"Legend of Sleepy Hollow" Nov 3 & 10 @ 2:00 pm; Nov 6 @ 1:00

CONTACT: ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu OR 267-205-0978

The Legend of SLEEPY HOLLOW Nov 3 - 10

Widener University’s FreshBaked Theatre Company present The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Sunday November 3 and November 10 at 2:00 pm in Widener University’s Alumni Auditorium. Matinee for local schools and homeschooling families on Wednesday November 6 (PLEASE call for info). Suggested donation of $1-2 per person benefits community aid organizations in Chester. The play is for ages 6 and up and families. Running time is 50 minutes. Legend tells us that the Headless Horseman roams the village of Sleepy Hollow under the full moon, forever looking for a head to replace the one he lost . . . . but is it true? Washington Irving’s classic ghost story -- retold by award-winning playwright Kathryn Schultz Miller -- will capture your imagination as mischievous Brom Bones and awkward schoolmaster Ichabod Crane duel for the affection of the beautiful Katrina. It is presented with all the thrills, chills and laughs that keep young audiences on the edge of their seats. This beloved American tale leads audiences on a spooky jaunt through the woods . . . and a spine-tingling encounter with the infamous Horseman himself! The cast features Widener University students Luis Aguilar, Autumn Heisler, Patrick LaMarra, Carolyn Lodge, Anna McCormick, Kirk Reichart, and Kim Vogel, as well as Wilmington resident Ruby Knipe. It is directed by Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale, with technical direction by Daniel Castagna. Since 2001, Widener’s FreshBaked Theatre Company has produced quality drama for children and families in the greater Chester area. The ensemble seeks to enhance Widener University’s commitment to civic engagement by sharing the magic of live performing arts. The group strives to produce “inventive drama for young minds . . . and the people who nurture them.” For more information, please email director Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale at ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu

Robin Hood: April 14, 19, 20, and 23

Widener Theatre for Young Audiences and FreshBaked Theatre Company present Robin Hood on Sunday April 14 at 3:00 pm and Saturday April 20 at 3:00 pm in Widener University’s Alumni Auditorium. Matinees for local schools and homeschooling groups (reservation suggested) take place Friday April 19 at 1:00 pm and Tuesday April 23 at 12:00 pm. Suggested donation of $1-2 per person* The play is for ages 5 and up. Running time is 45 minutes. More Info: ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu or 267-205-0978 ALL proceeds benefit local food pantries in Delaware County. In this timeless story, Robin Hood and his Merry Friends of Sherwood take your young audience on a fun-filled adventure as they steal from the rich and give to the poor. Young and old participate throughout the performance, becoming members of Robin's rowdy band and even competitors in a high stakes archery tournament! The performance features live music performed by Widener students. Robin Hood is written by award-winning children's playwight Kathy Schultz Miller, and is directed by Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale.

The Lake at the End of the World: Nov 3, 4, 8, 9

Widener University presents The Lake at the End of the World, a musical for young audiences, on November 3 and 4 at 2:00 pm in Alumni Auditorium. Suggested donation is $2 per person, with all proceeds benefiting Bernardine Center Food Pantry in Chester. Matinees for local schools (by reservation) take place November 8 at 1:00 pm and November 9 at 10:00 am. For ages 5 and up. Running time is 45 minutes. For more information, contact director Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale at ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu Drawn from an ancient Inca folktale, this play shows how a child, filled with truth and courage, can bring healing and hope. The music of Nancy Rosenberg leads us into another culture and energizes David F. Eliet's tale of a girl who reaches beyond what is expected of her as she saves her family and her people and touches the heavens. When his son grows ill, the Inca king promises his own life to the fire spirit if his son's life can be saved. When the fire spirit claims that only the water from the magic lake can save the son, the Inca offers a reward for anyone who will bring the water. A young farm girl, Sumac, has a brother who covets this reward and sets out to find the lake but becomes discouraged and devises a plan to bring water from an ordinary lake. When his deception is discovered, the Inca sentences him to death. Sumac stays the execution when she promises to find the magic lake or die trying. With the help of talking sparrows, a magic feather and her own bravery against fearsome guardians of the magic lake, Sumac gets the healing water and brings it to the Inca. But just as things are about to end happily ever after, the fire spirit returns for the Inca's life. Instead, Sumac throws herself upon the fire spirit in the Inca's place, an action that transforms her into a star of hope for the world.

Little Mermaid (video clip April 1, 2012)

The Little Mermaid's sisters (puppets) appear. They have traded their beautiful long hair to the sea witch in exchange for a magical dagger that will kill the prince and help the Little Mermaid return to her sea family.

A Fresh Look at "The Little Mermaid" (school shows April 12 & 13)

A New Spin on a Beloved Classic!






Widener Theatre for Young Audiences (FreshBaked Theatre Company) present The Little Mermaid on Saturday March 31 and Sunday April 1 at 2:00 pm in Widener University’s Alumni Auditorium. Matinees for local schools and homeschooling families take place Thursday April 12 at 10:00 am and Friday April 13 at 1:00 pm. Suggested donation of $2 per person will benefit Bernardine Center Food Pantry in Chester. The play is for ages 6 and up and families. Running time is 50 minutes.

In this unique re-telling of the beloved fairy tale, a boy and a girl join forces to bring the mermaid’s story to life. Director Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale sets the action on a beach, with familiar sights of the summer shore: bright umbrellas, a lifeguard chair, young people at play . . . and a girl on a quest to find love. Enthralled by the unknown world above the sea, the mermaid finds herself falling for a mysterious human. After a vicious storm throws him from his ship, she manages to save him, and finds she cannot live without this man. Taking matters into her own hands, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch. The Little Mermaid will be granted legs in exchange for her lovely voice. If only she can make the man truly love her, then the spell will be broken and she can know real happiness. The production also features music, movement and puppets. This fresh, funny, and moving adaptation, by award-winning writer Mike Kenny, highlights the art of storytelling -- and challenges audiences to experience a familiar tale in a brand new way!

Since 2001, Widener university has produced quality drama for children and families in the greater Chester area. The ensemble seeks to enhance Widener University’s commitment to community outreach with “inventive drama for young minds . . . and the people who nurture them.”

For more information, please contact director Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale at 267-205-0978>

The Sapphire Comb: Oct 30, Nov 2, 4, 6

River, River, Spirit of the Water,
Rushing, Rushing, Sing to me your daughter

Widener University’s FreshBaked Theatre Company present The Sapphire Comb on Sunday October 30 at 2:00 pm in Widener University’s Alumni Auditorium. Matinees for local schools and homeschooling groups (by advance reservation) take place Weds November 2 at 10:00 am and Friday November 4 at 1:00 pm. Suggested donation of $1 per person will benefit Bernardine Center Food Pantry in Chester. A special performance will take place Sunday November 6 at 3:00 pm at Darlington Arts Center in Boothwyn, PA. The play is for ages 6 and up. Running time is 50 minutes.

The Sapphire Comb is an original tale by Moses Goldberg, one of America's master playwrights for young audiences. Eleven-year-old Hannah waves her "magic" sapphire comb, a remembrance from her mother, over the water each day while chanting and dancing to commune with the River Spirit and defeat the mighty River Dragon. In a fit of anger, her ferryman father throws Hannah's sapphire comb into the river, insisting that she quit her “foolish games” and help him. When Hannah and her friend Corwin discover a mysterious woman in the river, the three pull her to safety. The ghostly River Woman holds secrets of the river's needs as well as clues to Hannah's mother's disappearance eight years before. As the spring flooding season threatens the riverside farms, the village begins the annual process of sandbagging. “The river has been good to you,” proclaims River Woman. “Why do you fight her with these bags of earth?” She knows that the river MUST change, that it must flood regularly in order to replenish the soil and to prevent an angry flood later. She is able to convince Hannah, Corwin and Hannah's father to stop sandbagging. As the floods rise and recede, Hannah's sapphire comb is found on the bank, and the puzzle of her mother's disappearance is completed with a bittersweet reunion.

Moses Goldberg, one of America’s master playwrights for young audiences, voices the continuing struggle for balance and survival between humankind and the earth’s natural forces. Creative movement, puppets, and music help bring the mysterious tale to life. It is presented by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, IL.

The Sapphire Comb features Widener University students: Christina Delva of Chester; Brett Hudson of Glen Mills; Kristen Kendall of Munster, Indiana; Chara Kramer of Mount Laurel, NJ; and Viraga Perera of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Also featured is Ruby Knipe of Wilmington, DE. It is directed by Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale with technical direction by Daniel Castagna.

FreshBaked Theatre Company promotes Widener University’s mission of civic outreach with quality drama for children and families in the greater Chester area. The ensemble strives to produce thought-provoking plays that challenge both young and adult audiences.

For reservations or for more information, please email director Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale at ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu

Actors/Crew needed for Fall 2011 production: "The Sapphire Comb"

Widener Theatre for Young Audiences - The FreshBaked Theatre Company -- is looking for enhusiastic actors, dancers, and technical assistants for its Fall production: The Sapphire Comb. It will be performed for local elementary schools during the first week in November. Please come to our information meeting. We will answer your questions and read from the script.

MEETING: Thursday September 1
3:30-4:45 pm
University Center Room A (in the Atrium).

A young girl named Hannah waves her magic sapphire comb, a remembrance from her mother, while singing and dancing to commune with the River Spirit. In a fit of anger, her ferryman father throws Hannah's sapphire comb into the river. When Hannah and her friend Corwin discover a mysterious woman in the river, they pull her to safety. The River Woman holds secrets of the river's needs as well as clues to Hannah s mother s disappearance eight years before. Dance, movement, puppets, and music will help bring the story to life. Approximate running time: 45-50 min.

Our mission is to produce inventive drama for young audiences in the local Chester community. All proceeds benefit local food pantries.

MORE INFO: Contact director Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale at ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu

TREASURE ISLAND - April 10 & 15, 2011

The magic of Treasure Island comes from the way the entire audience creates the storm at sea, a mosquito-infested jungle and a treasure cave filled with eerie ghosts. Audience members join Long John Silver's treacherous pirate gang and Captain Smollet's crew and join in rollicking pirate songs. The crew also team up with the fearsome Ben Bulba to help defeat Red the Pirate Queen. The audience then decide whether to hang Long John or let him sail away. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure story (running time: 45 minutes)

April 10 @ 2:00 PM
April 15 @ 1:00 PM

SUGGESTED DONATION: $1-2 per personAll proceeds benefit Bernardine Center Food Pantry

Legend of the Trouble Dolls Nov 10 & 12

by Kathy Schultz Miller

World Culture Play for Young Audiences! In the mountains of Guatemala the native peoples share an ancient legend with their children. Before sleeping, the child must tell her doll her trouble and while she sleeps, the doll will solve the problem. Teresa, a young village girl, has one very BIG trouble – the fiery volcano god, Fuego, whose rumbles echo across the mountains. Can her Trouble Dolls help defeat him and rescue her brother, Paco?? Grades K-5. Running time: 40 minutes

Weds November 10 @ 9:15 am
Friday November 12 @ 1:00 pm

SUGGESTED ADMISSION*: $1
(benefits Bernardine Center Food Pantry)
*please consider being more generous if you can!

Alumni Auditorium

Widener University

Reservations Required: 610-499-4341; ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu

A Midsummer Night's Dream: April 16, 17, 21 & 22

Adapted by Gillette Elvgren, Shakespeare’s best-loved comedy is brought to life especially for young audiences. In this rollicking version, four members of a traveling theatre troupe wake up one morning to discover that they have been abandoned by the other members of their company. That evening they are required to perform A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM before the local Squire, and have to madly re-invent the play so that it can be done with just four actors. The rehearsal which follows reveals not only the heart of Shakespeare's play, but the machinations of play-making itself. Young audiences will delight at the mischievous antics of the fairy Puck, whose mis-applied love potions wreak mayhem on the mortals who cross his path. Audience participation will ensure a fun and fabulous time for actors and audience alike.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream features Widener University students Amy Faith Naylor of Berlin, NJ; Lizet Negrete of Passaic, NJ; Jon Thomson of Bensalem; and Alexander Webster of Philadelphia. It is directed by Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale with technical direction by Daniel Castagna.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe Nov 8 & 15

adapted by Le Clanche Du Rand

directed by Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale

FreshBaked Theatre Company of Widener University present The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Sunday November 8 and 15 at 2:00 pm in Widener University’s Alumni Auditorium on the main campus in Chester. Matinees for local schools take place November 10 at 9:30 am and November 11 at 1:00 pm by reservation only. Suggested donation of $1 per person will benefit Bernardine Center Food Pantry in Chester. The play is best suited for ages five and up and families. Running time is 40-45 minutes.

Adapted by South African playwright Le Clanché du Rand, this creative and energetic two-actor stage production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has toured extensively in the United States and Canada and was selected as the only children’s play to be performed at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Based on the literary classic by C.S. Lewis, this touring show transports audience members to the magical land of Narnia using the simplest of props, compelling narration, and the power of imagination. The life and death struggle for control of the Kingdom of Narnia and the triumph of good over evil has enthralled audiences of all ages.

The story begins when eight-year-old Lucy discovers a magic wardrobe in her uncle’s home and upon stepping inside she finds herself in a strange new land called Narnia. Lucy meets a faun named Mr. Tumnus and learns about the evil White Witch who rules the land. Lucy’s siblings don’t believe her story about the wardrobe. Then, her youngest brother Edmund follows Lucy into the wardrobe one day and ends up in Narnia. There, he meets the White Witch and is fooled into believing that the Witch is good. Eventually, the children discover that Tumnus has been captured by the White Witch. Guided by the inhabitants of the forest, the children seek out a lion named Aslan who can help them save both Tumnus and Edmund from the wrath of the White Witch.

MORE INFO: ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu

TOMATO PLANT GIRL Apr 2-5, 2009

Almost 700 students from four Chester elementary schools saw the production.

Audiences contributed over $360 dollars for Bernardine Center Food Pantry.

UP NEXT: Tomato Plant Girl (April 4 & 5, 2009)

Widener University’s FreshBaked Theatre Company present Tomato Plant Girl on Saturday April 4 and Sunday April 5 @ 2:00 pm in Alumni Auditorium on the main campus in Chester. School matinees, by reservation only, are available Thursday and Friday, April 2 and 3 at 9:15 am. Admission is by free will cash donation, with all monies going to Bernardine Center Food Pantry to help local families in need. Suggested donation is $1 per person. Running time is 60 minutes and it is appropriate for children ages 5 and up.

Tomato Plant Girl, by playwright Wesley Middleton, delights young audiences with its sharp dialogue, physical action and playful, high-energy conflict. Little Girl is the new kid in Heretown. Good thing she's got her Bossy Best Friend! The girls share a garden where time moves to the rhythm of Bossy's commands until the day Little Girl can no longer obey. Bossy has forbidden Little Girl to touch her precious tomato plant. But if the plant doesn't get watered soon, it will die. When Bossy leaves to visit her grandma, Little Girl uproots the plant in a valiant rescue, and a messy girl-creature springs out of the earth, spitting up dirt and crying red tears. Soon, Little Girl is playing crazy new games with Tomato Plant Girl and teaching her to say "please." Maybe Little Girl has found a new Best Friend. But what will they do when Bossy returns? And what if Tomato Plant Girl won't stay? When her friendships collide and Little Girl has to choose, she discovers the power of making up her own rules. This play addresses bullying, conflict resolution, character education, making good choices, getting along, saying you are sorry, environmental issues, and friendship.

FreshBaked Theatre Company is a Widener student ensemble that produces inventive drama for young minds and the people who nurture them. Past productions include The Mischief Makers, The Arkansaw Bear, Hansel and Gretel, Red Badge of Courage, and Wiley and the Hairy Man.

For More Information: please email the director, Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale, at ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu or call 610-499-4341.

The Mischief Makers (Fall 2008)

The Mischief Makersby Lowell Swortzell
directed by Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5, 7, 9 & 16 2008

WIDENER UNIVERSITY'S ALUMNI AUDITORIUM

UPDATE: This show was an uproarious success with our school audiences. In fact, the cheering was so loud in the last scene that we actors could hardly hear a thing! Kudos to our fabulous audiences from Stetser, Main Street School, and Widener Partnership Charter School. Altogether, $170 was raised for Bernardine Center Food Pantry

SYNOPSIS:
This delightful multicultural play introduces young audiences to Anansi the Spider from Africa, Reynard the Fox from Europe, and the Native American trickster Raven. As the play opens, the three are found perched together sharing a totem pole, unknowingly brought together by Nyame, the god of the skies. As the play continues, the three argue over who among them is the best trickster. They work together to play out stories that best demonstrate their finest acts of trickery. In the end, Nyame returns, admitting that he brought the characters together in the hope that they would repent and reform their behavior; instead, he has come to realize the value of their deeds and the laughter they bring to the world. Rich with instructional opportunities, the play provides a wonderful exploration into the trickster tales found across diverse cultures and mythologies.

PHOTOS-The Arkansaw Bear

The Arkansaw Bear (Spring 2008)

A classic tale of a little girl struggling to accept her grandfather's death. Young Tish runs into the woods and meets a dancing bear, who resolves to teach his dances to a little bear so a part of him will keep living on. The little girl learns an important lesson -- that her grandfather has left a little of himself with her. A wonderful way for children to learn about loss, grieving, and remembering the ones we love.

The Arkansaw Bear was named a "Distinguished Play" by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education

PERFORMANCE DATES: Sunday April 20 & 27 @ 2:30 pm

SCHOOL-DAY MATINEES (reservation only): April 15 & 16 @ 9:30 am

ADMISSION: at least one non-perishable food item per person. Donations will benefit hunger programs in the city of Chester

CONTACT US: ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:
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, as well as the first to win the Charolette Chorpenning Cup from the American Theatre Association. His widely revered plays include The Arkansaw Bear, Androcles and the Lion, Rags to Riches, The Tobey Show, Monkey Magic, Pinballs, and The Orphan Train.

ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE:
TISH ..................................... Heather Astorga
STARBRIGHT ............................... Amy Faith Naylor
THE WORLD'S GREATEST DANCING BEAR ........ Stephen Lindsay
MIMES .................................... Meghan Barrett & Lisa Drinnan
THE RINGMASTER ........................... Jen Pinel
LITTLE BEAR .............................. Dionne Dean-Dones
DIRECTOR ................................. Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR ....................... Daniel Castagna

Hansel and Gretel (Fall 2007)

Hansel and Gretel, The Little Brother and the Little Sister played for two school-day matinees and two public performances November 7, 9, 11, and 18, 2007 in Widener University's Alumni Auditorium. Admission of non-perishable food items benefitted Bernardine Center, a food pantry on the west side of Chester.


Award-winning children’s playwright Max Bush draws upon the Grimm Brothers’ original manuscripts for this version of the classic folktale about a brother, a sister, and a mysterious witch. The play featured original music composed by Widener student Brian DiBiagio and performed with guitar, clarinet, and vocals. FreshBaked Theatre’s production was inspired by a uniquely American era: the Great Depression of the 1930s. In such a desperate world, children cannot rely on adults to nourish and protect them. Abandoned in the woods, Hansel and Gretel must rely on their own inner strength and courage to survive.

Hansel and Gretel was directed by Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale, with music composed by Brian DiBiagio. The ensemble included Heather Astorga, Meghan Barrett, Lisa Drinnan, Brian Harrington, Amy Faith Naylor, and Stephen Lindsay. Daniel Castagna served as technical director.