Raleigh Little Theatre Announces Programming Through June

After almost one full year of limited operations due to COVID-19, Raleigh Little Theatre presses forward and announces its plans for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. The theatre will utilize its outdoor performance venue, the Louise "Scottie" Stephenson Amphitheatre, to safely welcome back audiences in the spring and summer for a mix of family and adult programming and special events.

"The slate of upcoming shows exhibits the kind of bold and engaging stories we value at Raleigh Little Theatre," said Patrick Torres, RLT's artistic director. "Often, when I am rehearsing a play, I encourage actors and designers to embrace the obstacles because the way we overcome them often leads to creative solutions. The RLT staff and volunteers are continuing to demonstrate creativity after almost a year of nonstop obstacles, and I am proud to safely share these stories with our audiences in 2021."

Raleigh Little Theatre's first outdoor production of 2021 will be an imaginative retelling of Snow White, written by Greg Banks and directed by Kathleen Rudolph. The Family Series production features two actors bringing all of the fairy tale's classic characters to life. Snow White runs March 13-21 in RLT's Stephenson Amphitheatre.

In April, RLT will continue its partnership with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra for an outdoor concert performance of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years. The musical examines the rise and fall of a five-year relationship, told simultaneously by two characters. Jamie tells his story in chronological order while Cathy presents her experience in reverse chronological order, their timelines crossing only once during the show. The Last Five Years in Concert runs April 9-18 and is presented by PNC Bank.

May brings the return of RLT's annual fundraising event, Divas! Last year's virtual event raised $39,580 for the theatre. The cabaret fundraiser will return to RLT this year but will take place outside in the Stephenson Amphitheatre. Divas! Under the Stars will be directed by Alison Lawrence and presented for one night only, May 15.

To complete the modified 2020-21 season, RLT will present The Mountaintop, a fictional depiction of Martin Luther King Jr.'s last night on earth, set entirely in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. The play is written by Katori Hall and will run June 11-20 in the Stephenson Amphitheatre. Like Snow White and The Last Five Years, The Mountaintop also features only two roles, which RLT believes is an essential element in keeping actors as safe as possible during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are fortunate to have our outdoor Stephenson Amphitheatre, not only as a beautiful backdrop to our shows, but as a venue where we can do more to keep our volunteers and audiences safe," said Heather Strickland, RLT's executive director. "While it may still be some time before we are back to packed houses inside our theatre, we are excited and ready to welcome our community back to RLT."

Single tickets for Snow White are available now and can be purchased by calling the box office at 919-821-3111 or by visiting the theatre's website at www.RaleighLittleTheatre.org. The box office is open noon-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Tickets for each of the remaining productions will be on sale at a later date, to be announced soon.

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