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