Children's Theatre Company Presents World Premiere Of CORDUROY

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) presents the world premiere of the classic children's book brought to the stage of Corduroy, adapted by Barry Kornhauser and directed by CTC's Artistic Director of 20 years, Peter C. Brosius. Mr. Kornhauser has written numerous plays premiered by CTC including Balloonacy, Reeling, Bert & Ernie, Goodnight! and Madeline and the Gypsies. CTC Company Member Dean Holt will be playing Corduroy, CTC Company Member Reed Sigmund will play the Night Watchman, Ileri Okikiolu will debut at CTC playing the role of Lisa, Lauren Davis will play Lisa's Mother and Mimi Kol-Balfour and Keegan Robinson as a student ensemble.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the much beloved Corduroy book by author and illustrator Don Freeman. Published six years after The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats broke the color barrier in children's picture books, Freeman decided to portray Lisa as an African American girl, at a time when children's books featuring minority children were still relatively rare.

The design team includes Scenic Designer Torry Bend (CTC (Animal Dance), Southwest Shakespeare Co., Empty Space Theatre Seattle, Oregon Repertory Theater), Music Composer/Sound Designer Victor Zupanc (2016 Ivey Award for CTC's Pinocchio, Los Angeles Theater Critics Circle Award), Ivey Award winning Costume Designer Trevor Bowen (Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Ten Thousand Things Theatre, Jungle Theatre) and Lighting Designer Craig Gottschalk (CTC's resident lighting and video designer).

"On this 50th anniversary of the publication of Don Freeman's classic Corduroy, I'm incredibly honored to help bring about its first stage adaptation," states playwright Barry Kornhauser. "Who doesn't remember a special childhood toy that we thought of as a real friend? And one that came to life (if only in our imaginations)? Of course, I'm incredibly excited to once again be given the gift of working with Peter and his brilliant and passionate team to build upon Freeman's book, exploring what might have gone on the rest of that night with Corduroy and the Night Watchman in the department store, and also with Lisa and her mom in their apartment, in this beloved story of longing and friendship."

Join Corduroy on his delightfully destructive chase through every section of the department store in search of his missing button. Will the night watchman find him and return him to his shelf before he can find his important button? Will Lisa ever convince her mother to let her give the bear a home? The tender, enduring story about true friendship will touch the hearts of young and old alike.

A CTC world premiere production, Corduroy opens March 6 and runs through May 20, 2018 on the Cargill Stage and is recommended for preschoolers and up. Individual show tickets and subscriptions can be purchased at childrenstheatre.org or by calling the ticket office at 612.874.0400.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is the nation's largest and most acclaimed theatre for multigenerational audiences. It creates theatre experiences that educate, challenge, and inspire for nearly 275,000 people annually. CTC is the only theatre focused on young audiences to win the coveted Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre and is the only theatre in Minnesota to receive three Tony nominations (for its production of A Year with Frog and Toad). CTC is committed to producing world class productions at the highest level and to developing new works, more than 200 to date, dramatically changing the canon of work for young audiences.

CTC's engagement and learning programs annually serve more than 85,000 young people and their communities through Theatre Arts Training, student matinees, Neighborhood Bridges, and early childhood arts education programs. The ACT One program is CTC's comprehensive platform for access, diversity and inclusion in our audiences, programs, staff and board that strives to ensure the theatre is a home for all people, all families, reflective of our community. www.childrenstheatre.org

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