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Pippi Longstockin
Enjoy a celebration o f every child's
dream o f independence! Drammy-
awardwinningOregonChildren’s The­
atre (O C T ) presen ts
P ip p i
1 .ongs locking at Portland C ivic Audi­
torium on Sunday. January 17 and 24.
This professional live stage produc­
tion is based on Pippi Longstocking
and PippiGoeson Board, twobooks by
internationally acclaimed children’s
author Astrid Lindgren.
The setting is Villa Vlllekulla. a quiet
Swedish village. A nine-year-old red­
head named Pippilotta Delicatessa
Windowshade Mackrelnunt Ephraim’s
Daughter has moved into a ramshackled
house and lives alone.. .except for her
pet monkey and horse (for this produc­
tion, Pippi's monkey and horse have
been specially designed by puppet
master Mary Harrison). Pippi immedi­
ately makes friends with neighborhood
children, but the adults in the town
don’t understand her lifestyle and the
Child Wei fare Board believes she must
be “tamed” . Her uproarious Tom
Sawyerish adventures create booth
confusion and merriment in Villa
Villekulla. as our young heroine lives
up to her reputation as a free spirit.
S ta n F o o te d irec ts Pippi
Longstocking after receiving a Drammy
Award for Best Director (Musical) of
Oregon Children’s Theatre’s 1996pro­
duction o f Stuart Little. Foote has di­
rected in the Portland area for nearly 20
years for Oregon Children’s Theatre,
la k e wood Theatre Company, Artists
Repertory Theatre and Triangle Pro­
ductions. On December 1, Foote joined
Oregon Children’s Theatre as its new
Director o f Education.
L aura Smith will star as Pippi
Longstocking. Smith most recently
played the role o f Christopher Robin
for Triangle Productions’ Winnie the
Pooh and is a current member o f
Brainwaves Improvisational Comedy.
Pippi’s neighborhood friends, Annika
and Tommy, will be played by Aimee
Ankeny and Hunter Brier-Roeschlaub.
Public perform ances o f P ip p i
Longstocking will be held at Portland
Civic Auditorium on Sunday, January
17, at 2 PM and on Sunday, January 24,
at 2 and 5 PM. Reserved seats are $ 16,
$ 13 & $ 11 foradultsand$12,$10&$8
for children and seniors. Tickets are
available by calling OCT’s box officeat
503 228-9571 orTicketmaster outlets at
503 790-ARTS (2787). The production
runs one hour and is appropriate for
adults and children four years o f age
and older. Group discounts available.
Lhe sign interpreted performance will
be on January 17 at 2 PM. Special
services for disabled patrons available
on request.
Oregon Children’s Theatre is a non­
profit professional theatre company
celebrating its 11’*’ season o f present­
ing quality stage quality stage adapta­
tions o f the best in children’s literature.
A larg e p erc en ta g e o f O regon
Children’s Theatre’s audience is made
up o f school groups who attend week­
day performances at Portland Ci vie Au­
ditorium. Oregon Children’s Theatre
expects a combined school and family
audience for Pippi Longstocking o f
more than40,000.
The Magic Fire
Time magazine w riter Richard
Z oglin has ch o sen the O regon
Shakespeare Festival’s (OSF) pro-
ductionofLillianGaiTett-Groag’s T/ie
Magic Fire as one o f his top ten
theatre picks in his recent 1998 wrap-
up o f The Best o f Theater. Zoglin
attended The Magic Flute during its
five-week run at the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, D.C., from Nov. 12 -
Dec .6. Zoglin said OSF ’ s production
“combines warm family comedy and
savvy political melodrama with rare
skill.”
The Magic Fire, directed by OSF
Artistic Director Libby Appel, stands
in excellent company, included with
such theatrical productions as M ar­
tin M cD onough’s The Q uenn o f
Leenane, Tennessee W illiam s' Not
About Nightingales, and Margaret
Edson’s Wit.
“This is a real tribute to our com­
pany as a whole,” said A ppel. “From
ourcomm issioningoftheplay in 1993
to its stunning Kennedy Center open-
ingtnN ovem ber,it’s been an ex traor-
dinary journey developing this beau­
tiful play. The combination o f one o f
the finest acting companies in the
country with a play o f world-class
merit has created a great m oment in
O SF’s already esteemed history."
The Oregon Shakespeare Festi­
val launched its five-week run o f
The Magic Fire at the Kennedy
Center on November 12 with an
opening night for the record books.
“It’s the best opening w e’ve ever
had for a new play,” remarked Ann
Stock, Kennedy Center Vice Presi­
dent for Institutional Affairs. The
Washington, D.C. audience, known
for its restraint, gave the ensemble
The cast of the production of Lillian
cast o f the new play a resounding
standing ovation. Zoglin and other Garrett-Groag's The Magic Fire
reviewers agreed. The Washington gathers around the family radio.
P o st c a lle d th e p ro d u c tio n
“ searingly pow erful,” and The
bly,” said Nicholson, "the Kennedy
W ashington Times gave it three
Center has already started talking
and a half stars, describing the show
with us.”
as “a must see for the serious the­
The Magic Fire v/as. com mis­
ater lover.”
sioned by the Oregon Shakespeare
Immediately on their return to
Festival in 1993 and was included in
Oregon, cast, designers, and crew
the Festival’s play reading series in
began work on O SF’s 1999 season.
1995. In 1996, the Festival and play­
“Our 1998 season produced the
wright Lillian Garrett-Groag were
highest gross revenue in our his­
aw arded m ajor grants from the
tory,” commented Festival Execu­
Kennedy Center Fund forNew Ameri­
tive Director Paul Nicholson, "and
can Plays to produce The Magic
1999 is looking very strong, with
Fire.
Othello, The Three Musketeers and
For more inform ation, contact
Pericles already drawing interna­
Amy Richard or Bob Hackett at (541 )
tional attention.” Another trip to
482-6811.
the Kennedy Center? “Quite possi-
C a ll: 2 2 8 - 1 3 5 3
or 1-800-228-7.34.3 • M o n .-S at. 9 u m -S p n i
www.orsvm phonv.org
James DePreist. Music Director & Conductor
A r u m
S< i i m i z i r C o m i r i H a u
•
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