MainStreet Theatre Company's 11th Season to Open with STUART LITTLE

MainStreet Theatre Company, which was recently included in American Theatre Magazine's list of "20 Theatres you should take your kids to", is happy to announce the cast and creative team for Stuart Little -- the first show of its 11th Season. Art Manke is the Director.

The production will play two school performances on September 30, and open to the public on Saturday, October 1st at 4pm. The strictly limited engagement, geared for everyone aged 4 and up, will run through Sunday, October 16th only.

The play, adapted by Joseph Robinette from E.B. White's cherished 1945 novel about a mouse named Stuart who is born into a typical New York family, will be performed in a "story theatre" style, where the actors talk directly to the audience as well as play multiple characters. The excellent cast of Los Angeles based Equity actors includes Scott McLean Harrison as Stuart, with Joshua Wolf Coleman, Mark Jacobson, Amanda Pajer and Jane Noseworthy portraying all of the people and animals that Stuart meets on his many adventures.

MainStreet is thrilled to welcome back award-winning director Art Manke, who is well known to Southland audiences for his many productions at South Coast Repertory Theatre, the Pasadena Playhouse, and others. He previously directed Elephant & Piggie's: "We are in a Play!" and Sleeping Beauty: The Time Traveler for MainStreet.

The scenic design, also by Art Manke, will use old- fashioned wooden blocks as inspiration. The audience's imagination, boosted by gorgeous lighting by Josh Epstein, will transform blocks of various shapes into the many locations along Stuart's journey. Angela Balogh Calin's clever costumes will help the actors switch between the many characters they'll each play, which include an array of birds, cats, and dogs, as well as people. Props are by Glenn Michael Baker, and Mary K. Klinger is Production Stage Manager. Adding to the creativity of this production, MainStreet has commissioned composer Deborah Wicks-La Puma to write an original underscore, which will augment both the emotion and the humor in the story. Theatre-goers will be familiar with some of Ms. La Puma's many musicals for young audiences, including Elephant & Piggie's: We are in a Play! which MainStreet produced in the 15/16 season.

Stuart Little will have performances on weekends for family audiences (Saturdays at 1pm and 4pm and Sundays at 1pm, except for opening weekend when there is only one performance on Saturday, October 1st at 4pm), and on weekday mornings for school groups, through October 16th.

During the run of Stuart Little, the theatre company hopes families will take advantage of opportunities to interact more with the story. Every public performance will include pre-show activities and lobby displays, and children can meet the cast in the lobby for autographs after the show. There will also be a short "talk-back" after the performance on Sunday, October 9th.

For more information, including special family discounts and the Study Guide for teachers and parents, visit the Lewis Family Playhouse's website: www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com. Tickets can also be purchased over the phone or in person at The Playhouse Box Office: 909-477-2752. The box office is open Monday through Friday from noon to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

The Lewis Family Playhouse, an intimate 550-seat venue, is located in the 89,000-square-foot Victoria Gardens Cultural Center. The complex is located off the I-15 at Foothill Boulevard, at 12505 Cultural Center Drive in Rancho Cucamonga. Free Parking is available.

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