CCT Presents THE COMMEDIA EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

Summer is here and that means The Spaghetti and Meatball Players will return to Columbia Children's Theatre (CCT) in full force with their rendition of The Commedia Emperor's New Clothes, June 9-17. Show times are Saturdays at 10:30 am, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00. All performances are held at Columbia Children's Theatre's new performance space on the 1st level of Richland Mall, 3400 Forest Drive next to Barnes & Noble. Tickets for the Saturday and Sunday performances are $10.00 for children three years of age through adult. The 7:00 p.m. performances on Saturday evenings will have a special ticket price of $5.00 for everyone. Advance tickets can be purchased securely online at columbiachildrenstheatre.com. For more information contact CCT at 803-691-4548.

About The Production

This beloved band of vagabond actors, who've named themselves The Spaghetti and Meatball Players have been a regular feature of CCT summers for the last 7 years, and tell the story of the Hans Christian Andersen tale in the commedia dell'arte style of theatre. Commedia dell'arte, Italian for "comedy of the professional artists," was a popular form of improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 15th century and continued in its appeal for centuries. At that time, all performances were unscripted and held outdoors, with only simple props and no scenery. The influence of commedia dell'arte is evident in much of our contemporary comedy, most notably in the great commedia artists of the 20th century, the Marx Brothers and most recently with the rise of improvisational comedy shows such as Saturday Night Live and Whose Line is it Anyway. The stock "scenarios" acted out by the players are still evident in the plot lines of the current form of television sit-coms.

Written by CCT Artistic Director Jerry Stevenson, this version features Paul Lindley as Arlequino, Julian DeLeon as Pantalone, Mary Miles as Columbine, Frannie Farrar Fields as Rosetta, and Baker Morrison as Il Capitano.

"We are having the best time with this show," said Stevenson. "Several of us remarked at the first rehearsal that it was our favorite day of the year because we got to revisit all of these characters that we have come to love so dearly over the last seven summers."

In addition to its initial two-weekend run, CCT will present additional weekday morning performances on Thursdays at 10:00 am through July 26. Group discounts are available for summer camps and day cares by calling (803) 691-4548.

Columbia Children's Theatre is a professional resident not-for-profit theatre dedicated to providing quality live theatre experiences for families and young audiences, and is supported in part by the City of Forest Acres and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Complete Schedule of Performances for Calendar Listings:

The Commedia Emperor's New Clothes

Saturday, June 9: 10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 10: 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 14: 10:00 a.m.
Friday, June 15: 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, June 16: 10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 17: 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 21: 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, June 28: 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, July 19: 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, July: 26: 10:00 a.m.

To post a comment, you must register and login.