THE TEMPEST, Featuring Musicians from Kidznotes, to Play Raleigh Little Theatre

The Public Works project of The Public Theater in NYC presented its first play in 2013, showcasing 200 New Yorkers from all five boroughs, who shared the stage with professional actors and community partners.

Now, this 90 minute musical version of an epic Shakespearean drama will be on stage for the first time in North Carolina as the culmination of Raleigh Little Theatre's Teens on Stage / Teens Backstage summer conservatory next month. "The Tempest" is directed by Patrick Torres, Raleigh Little Theatre's Artistic Director.

"Public Works' The Tempest is an exciting adaptation of one of Shakespeare's most cherished plays. The adaptation requires communities to come together to share the story. Our teens who come from all over the city will get to partner with young people from Kidznotes to create the community that will put this wonderful piece on stage. And, my hope, is that in creating our unique community, we will learn how to overcome some of the major themes of the play - power, revenge, and captivity - in our own lives," said Torres.

For the first time, Raleigh Little Theatre will partner with Kidznotes, which will provide musicians and a choir for "TheTempest." Kidznotes' program model is based on the El Sistema model of youth orchestras, which started in Venezuela and has now spread worldwide. The organization provides 10 hours of music instruction a week free of charge to all participants. Currently students range in grades from K-7th.

"Kidznotes is thrilled to partner with Raleigh Little Theater for their production of The Tempest this summer. We greatly appreciate the opportunity for our students to expand their horizons while collaborating with other students in the fine arts community," said Todd Krueger, Artistic Manager for Kidznotes.

RLT offers a number of camps each summer, including Teens on Stage / Teens Backstage, which is a capstone program for young actors and theatre technicians. Teens on Stage students attend conservatory classes over six weeks including acting, voice, movement, improvisation, and text analysis, in addition to rehearsing for the production. Teens Backstage is an opportunity to learn theatrical design and production from industry professionals in a hands-on environment. There will be a post-show discussion with the director and cast after the performance on Sunday, July 23 at 3pm.

This project is funded in part by the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission. The production runs July 21 - 30 in the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre. Tickets for all events at RLT can be purchased by calling the box office (919)-821-3111, Monday through Friday, noon to 5:00 p.m., or by visiting the theatre's website at www.raleighlittletheatre.org.

Founded in 1936, Raleigh Little Theatre (RLT) is one of the oldest, continuously operating, community theatres in theUnited States. RLT offers entertainment, education, and community programs year-round, reaching 40,000 people. As a community theatre, RLT engages hundreds of volunteers, under the guidance of professional staff, to achieve its mission and to bring quality live theatre to the Triangle area. Visit www.raleighlittletheatre.org for more information. Raleigh Little Theatre is located at 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, N.C. 27607, adjacent to the Raleigh Rose Garden.

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