Free GTA Stage Tour Offers A Peek Below Deck Of SOPHIE AND THE PIRATES

Sophie and the Pirates is a bold, fun-filled adventure about a young girl thrust into the wacky, weird, wonderful world of life aboard a pirate ship. The Gainesville Theater Alliance invites the community to a free Stage Tour (an exclusive sneak peek behind the scenes) at 6:00 pm, Sept. 20, in the historic Pierce Auditorium, Brenau University, 500 Washington St. SE, Gainesville.

The show is the annual offering to young patrons of WonderQuest, the Gainesville Theatre Alliance's theater for young audiences, and a recipient of the South Eastern Theater Conference's Sara Spencer Award for Excellence in Child Drama. The Gainesville Theater Alliance is an acclaimed collaboration between the University of North Georgia, Brenau University, theatre professionals, and the North Georgia Community.

There will be 15 performances of Sophie and the Pirates, 10 of which are school matinees performing for nearly 6,000 school children from 12 counties in northeast Georgia. For many, it will be a first experience with LIVE theatre.

The show's playwright and director, Gay H. Hammond, will be present to discuss how she creates fairytale magic right on stage. Hammond is an accomplished playwright, as well as the Director of WonderQuest, Resident GTA Dramatist, and regular GTA director, most recently for such shows as: Monstrous Regiment, Jungle Book, and The Raven and the Nightingale. Guest costume designer William Mellette, a New York-based designer who grew up in Hall County and graduated from Brenau and the GTA program in 2006, will share his research and the process behind bringing the crew of the "The Dainty Betsy" to life.

Sophie and the Pirates opens September 28, with five family performances running through October 6. While the Stage Tour is free, family performance tickets range from $10-12 for adults and seniors. Tickets for students and children can be from $7-8, depending on seat location. The Walk the Plank Pirate Party will be before the shows on October 5 and 6. Tickets are $5 each, sold separately from performance tickets. Patrons can select and purchase their seats on the website, www.gainesvilleTHEATREalliance.org, or by calling the GTA Box Office at 678-717-3624, Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm.