Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre presents THE BOXCAR CHILDREN April 23-25

Get ready for fun and adventure as The Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre brings the cherished children's book The Boxcar Children to life on stage April 23 - 25.

Originally written in 1924 by Gertrude Chandler Warner and adapted for the stage in 1999 by Barbara Field, The Boxcar Children tells the story of four orphaned children during the Great Depression. After their parents drown in a boating accident, the children - ages 5 to 14 - run away when they overhear talk of putting them in separate foster homes. With the motto, "we stick together like glue," the children find an abandoned railroad boxcar and turn it into their home.

"The play reiterates the feeling of community and family, and that family sometimes takes different shapes and forms than what we think it's supposed to be," explains director Kelly Herman.

The Boxcar Children also explores the themes of personal integrity, maturity, and making do with what you have. In tough economic times, people begin to appreciate the things in life that cannot be bought, like the generosity and kindness of friends, family and strangers.

"With our current economic situation, it's a reminder that we can make good things happen even when we don't have a lot," says Herman.

According to Herman, this production of The Boxcar Children is being staged as it would have been done in the great depression.

"The actors never leave the stage, and all the music and sound effects are done on stage," she says. "Back in the 1930s, people would say ‘let's do a play!' so that is exactly what we're doing."

Of the play, The Seattle Times said, "Though the central story is the same, Field's script amplifies the psychological and social dimensions of the book considerably. With all the added material, The Boxcar Children has grown into an extended, more instructive and informative tale."
Performance Dates
April 23: 10 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.
April 24: 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
April 25: 1 p.m. & 5:00 p.m.

Written by Barbara Field
Based on the novels by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Directed by Kelly Herman

Ticket Prices
Children: $18
Adults: $20

FOR INFORMATION & TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
CALL: 949.497.ARTS (2787) - GROUP SALES: 949.497.2787 ext. 229
VISIT: www.LagunaPlayhouse.com
MOULTON THEATRE: 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California

ABOUT THE Laguna Playhouse YOUTH THEATRE
Since its early days, The Laguna Playhouse recognized the value of offering plays for young audiences. In the 1980s, what had been a sporadic history of producing children's theatre was transformed into a formal program called The Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre. The current program offers a two play subscription series of plays and musicals based upon popular books or stories aimed primarily for children of elementary and middle school ages.

What makes the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre Season unique in the region: the plays are directed and designed by theatre professionals and are fully-mounted with The Playhouse's technical resources. The staff for each production is drawn principally from The Playhouse's Youth Conservatory Program. Open casting is "age-appropriate," which means that young people play young people in the plays. The content of the plays is typically similar to G-rated or PG-rated films.

Founded in 1920, the Laguna Playhouse is one of the oldest continuously-operating theatres on the West Coast, and has evolved from an amateur theater into a professional League of Resident Theatres (LORT). More than 100,000 theatergoers annually attend performances at the Laguna Playhouse. Noted for its Award Winning Youth Theater, Education and Community Outreach programs, The Playhouse's continued growth, expansion, artistic excellence, audience popularity and critical acclaim have helped make it one of Southern California's most important nonprofit theatre companies.

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