- By Wendy Woods
- Entertainment
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Rebecca, who is "nine, almost ten - almost double digits," is a very bright child, a very capable child. She generally uses very good judgment. Well, most of the time. There was the time "she decided to cut her own bangs. And the time she decided to re-color her room using her finger paints. And, she once dressed up the cat in the flower girl's outfit she was supposed to wear to her Aunt Helen's wedding." But those things had happened a very long time ago.
Then one cold winter day, school is cancelled with little notice, and Rebecca's mother leaves her daughter home alone for the very first time. Rebecca promises to play with her cat Muriel, read a book, maybe do some drawing. Her mother warns that she only needs to remember one very important thing: "Do not be foolish."
We wish we could tell you that Rebecca heeds her mother's advice. Instead, she ends up leaving the house and finds herself in a mysterious frozen land on the way to unexpected adventures. Filled with music and movement, the world premiere of Winter Tales is a seasonal treat for all ages.
Winter Tales is narrated by Judith Holliday, and features real-life almost ten-year-old Chunmei McKernan as Rebecca, Sarah Foster as Muriel the Cat and Brett Bossard as the Ice Man. They are supported by a versatile company of actors, singers, dancers, and live musicians that includes Rorie Dean, Lesley Greene, Stephen Nunley, Erin Rieger and Audrey Steele.
Playwright/lyricist/director Rachel Lampert, who also serves as KTC's Artistic Director, has authored many original FAMILY FARE productions (The Odyssey Part I, A December Suite, The Sisters Fitzenstarts Fall Recital, The Emmett & Hambone Stories and Fools! Schmools!) and adaptations (A Christmas Carol, Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore and The Mikado). "Winter Tales is directed in "story-theater style" with lots of movement. It is inspired by the 'cautionary tales' of the classic children's story genre, with a modern twist."
Composer Lesley Greene has written a provocative score with haunting and memorable melodies. She has composed music for the Kitchen Theatre productions of Circus Wunderbar, The Refrigerator Caper, Fools! Schmools!, and Science Fair. Ms. Greene also serves as the Producer of the Kitchen's FAMILY FARE series.
The scenic design, built upon the set for the Kitchen's Mainstage production of The SantaLand Diaries, is by Norm Johnson, lighting design by Rose AC Howard, costume design by Hannah Kochman, piano accompaniment is by Bill Cowdery, and sound design by Tim Reppert. The original artwork for the poster image for Winter Tales was created by Ithaca High School alum (2004) Emily Newton.
Kitchen Theatre Company's FAMILY FARE series brings original programming that is entertaining for children and their grownups to Central New York. The season includes The Odyssey Part I presented October 2005, and coming up later is a Gilbert & Sullivan sing-a-long I Have a Song to Sing O! and internationally renowned storyteller Alice Eve Cohen returns with The Parrot (part of KITCHEN COUNTER CULTURE series). FAMILY FARE is underwritten by Tompkins Trust Company and sponsored by The Cat's Pajamas and Vector Magnetics.
Performance Dates:
December 3, 2005, Saturday at 1:00 pm
December 3, 2005, Saturday at 3:00 pm
December 4, 2005, Sunday at 1:00 pm (PRESS OPENING)
December 10, 2005, Saturday at 1:00 pm
December 10, 2005, Saturday at 3:00 pm
December 11, 2005, Sunday at 1:00 pm
December 17, 2005, Saturday at 1:00 pm
December 17, 2005, Saturday at 3:00 pm
December 18, 2005, Sunday at 1:00 pm (CLOSING)
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