Lee Cataluna's MUD PIES & MAGIC Starts Tonight at Honolulu Theatre for Youth

Honolulu Theatre for Youth begins the new year with the world premiere of MUD PIES AND MAGIC, an original play-or rather, two plays-by Lee Cataluna. The show is first in a series HTY will be producing over the next several seasons which seek to involve and celebrate multi-generational audiences.

With MUD PIES AND MAGIC, Cataluna focuses her sharp wit once again on the topic of inter-generational relationships, providing keen insight into how local families live and play together. Can a great-grandmother teach her germ-phobic great-granddaughter the joys of making mud pies? What chance does a hyper-active troublemaker have of getting his older uncle out of the recliner? The two short plays bring humor and insight, exploring how generations "play" together and what they might learn from each other when they do.

MUD PIES AND MAGIC opens tonight, January 15 at 7 p.m., and continues on Saturdays, Jan. 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6 at 4:30 p.m. There is a sensory-friendly/ASL-interpreted performance on Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. Single tickets are $20 for adults (age 18-59), $15 for seniors (age 60+) and $10 for youth (age 2-17). The show is best enjoyed by audiences five years old and above. All shows are performed at Tenney Theatre on the grounds of The Cathedral of St. Andrew. Tickets at www.htyweb.org or 839-9885.

Director Alvin Chan says the plays are "wildly imaginative. The writing and humor are vintage Lee Cataluna-she'll have you laughing 'till stomach sore' while thinking about local relationships in an entirely new ways-mixed with cutting edge technical production."

HTY Artistic Director Eric Johnson says that HTY especially encourages audiences of mixed generations to attend the play and is working with senior living facilities to attend weekday school performances (for booking information call 839-9885 ext. 711). "We love that so many grandparents make theatre a part of their family time and in our 61st year we truly are an organization that reaches across generations," he said. "This will be the first of several plays HTY will produce that honors the importance of our keiki and kupuna and how those relationships are one of the treasures of living in Hawaii."

The cast of MUD PIES AND MAGIC is Aiden Vincent (age 12, in his public theatre debut), Maile Holck, Junior Tesoro and Christina Uyeno. Lighting designer is Diane Burlingame; set and props designer is Joe Dodd; sound designer is Eric Burlingame, costume designer is Lacy Rohlf; projection designer is Chesley Cannon.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth is Hawaii's non-profit professional theatre company providing theatre and drama education programs that make a difference in the lives of Hawaii's young people and families. Founded in 1955, HTY is recognized the world over as one of America's most honored theatres.

Pictured: Junior Tesoro and Aiden Vincent. Photo by Brad Goda.

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