Chance Theater Proudly Presents THE LITTLE PRINCE

Chance Theater, Anaheim's official resident theater company, is pleased to announce the first show in its third season of Theater for Young Audiences... The Little Prince. Written by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar, based on the book by Antoine De Saint-Exupery, and directed by Darryl B. Hovis, The Little Prince will preview from February 17 through February 25; regular performances will begin February 25 and continue through March 5 at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center on the Fyda-Mar Stage.

A story that reminds us of all we leave behind to grow up and invites us to see the world again with the fresh eyes of youth. A journey of simple beauty, Saint-Exupery's tale has a different meaning for each of us. Young and Old alike will enjoy this visually stunning masterpiece. Join us for an adventure that spans from the Sahara to Outer Space and Beyond; a place where it's never too late to rediscover your dreams.

The Little Prince has a rich history and has had a profound effect on people all over the world. First published in 1943, The Little Prince is the most famous work of French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator Antoine De Saint-Exupery. Translated into more than 250 languages and dialects (as well as Braille), the novella is the fourth most-translated book in the world. Selling nearly two million copies annually, it has become one of the best-selling books ever published. If that's not enough, The Little Prince was voted the "Best Book of the 20th Century" in France.

"For children, the grown-up world can be a confusing place that is full of conflicting information," said director Darryl B. Hovis, who is also Chance's TYA Producing Associate. "Everything that they are praised for as children is dismissed as adults. The Little Prince explores this theme. It is a children's story very much for adults. It is about rediscovering our creativity that we had as children. It is about looking underneath to discover the true meaning of things."

Rick Cummins (Playwright) is the composer/author of several Off-Broadway and regional theatre musicals and plays -- That's Life! (Outer Critics Circle nominee); The Little Prince (starring Tony Award winner Daisy Eagan, and now available in four different formats through Dramatic Publishing Company); Pets! ( produced at Playhouse 91 and Theatre East, also available through DPC); Sherlock Holmes and the Red-Headed League (Theatreworks USA, published by Samuel French, Inc.); Tiny Tim's Christmas Carol (Brooklyn Academy Of Music, and now the annual holiday show for the Pennsylvania Rep Company); Amos & Olga (Playhouse by the River), and A Virtual Woman (staged readings at Amas Musical Theatre). Rick's incidental music scores for classic plays such as Death of a Salesman, The Glass Menagerie, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Sam Shepard's Icarus's Mother), and others have been performed in New York, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Canada, and across the U.S. On compact disc, his music can be heard on Varese-Sarabande's Broadway Bound: New Writers for the Musical Theatre, Dottie Burman's I'm In Love With My Computer, and Leahy Production's That's Life! He has also written music and lyrics for children's songs, industrials, and film. He is an alumnus of New York's BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and is a member of the Dramatists Guild and ASCAP.

John Scoullar (Playwright) With playwright Joseph Kavanagh, John wrote Old Fashion Bargain Days, Canticle at Hartman Conservatory Theatre, the musicals The Legend of Finn McCool and Hello, Dears, in which he starred in at the Players Theatre. He was choreographer of Playwrights Horizons' Leander Stillwell; he appeared in Off-Broadway presentations of God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, The Crazy Locomotive and The Hot L Baltimore. Mr. Scoullar passed away in 2011.

Darryl B. Hovis (Director) is an actor, director, and designer, and is the Producing Associate of the Theater for Young Audiences Series at Chance Theater. He earned his MA in Theatre Production at Central Washington University and studied acting at the Professional Conservatory at UCSD under Anna Shapiro (Steppenwolf) as well as South Coast Repertory under Karen Hensel. He is the co-founder and former artistic director of the Culver City Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, where he developed an intensive arts program for high school students in theatre, film, music, and art, and has gone on to develop theatre programs at other Southern California high schools, as well as Theatre International at Leysin American School in Leysin, Switzerland. He has directed a multitude of productions, some of his favorites being Therese Raquin, A History of the American Film (Chance Theater), Rent and The Threepenny Opera (Samohi Theatre), Machinal and Resurrecting Antigone (UniTheatre), and The Miracle Worker and Treehouses (AVPA).

The production team for The Little Prince also includes scenic designer Megan Hill (Fancy Nancy, the musical), lighting designer McLeod Benson (The Stinky Cheese Man), costume designer Mauri Anne Smith (Alice in Wonderland), Sound Designer Cierra Peet, assistant director Laura Hathaway, and stage manager Nicole Schlitt (A Chorus Line).

The cast of The Little Prince includes resident artist James McHale (Samsara), as well as returning Chance artists Ned Liebl (Seminar), Angela Griswold (Little Women) and Aaron McGee (The Legends of Sleepy Hollow).

Elizabeth Jones is the Executive Producer. Bette & Wylie Aitken are the Season Producers for the entire 2017 schedule.

Special "Relaxed Performance" on Saturday, March 4 at 11am

Continuing the initiative that started with the inaugural Theater for Young Audiences Series, the Chance will be presenting a special "relaxed performance" on March 4 at 11am. This special performance is specifically designed to welcome people that will benefit from a more relaxed environment, including children under 4 years of age, people with an Autism Spectrum Condition, sensory and communication disorders, or a learning disability. There will be minor alterations made to some technical elements, and the house lights will be left on at a dim level to create a conducive environment for all audiences to enjoy the story. There is also a designated "relaxing and activities area" set up in the lobby for any audience members who may need to take a break during the performance.

Proud to be one of the leading ensemble-driven theatre companies in Southern California, CHANCE THEATER recently received a National Theatre Company grant from American Theatre Wing. The Chance has won six Ovation Awards, including two for Best Production of a Musical - Intimate Theater for its West Coast premiere of Triassic Parq - The Musical and Southern California premiere of Jerry Springer - The Opera, as well as four LADCC Awards, including the Polly Warfield Award for Outstanding Season. The Anaheim City Council named Chance Theater "the official resident theater company of Anaheim", and Arts Orange County has twice named the Chance as "Outstanding Arts Organization". Known for using bold and personal storytelling to promote dialogue and connection within the Southern California theatrical landscape, the Chance is committed to contributing to a more compassionate, connected and creative community. As a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group, Network of Ensemble Theaters, and the LA Stage Alliance, Chance Theater continues to bring national attention to the Southern California and Orange County theater scenes.

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