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FALL / WINTER 2007-2008 SEASON!!
PERFORMANCES:
FEB. 2, 2008 - FEB. 23, 2008!
SHOWTIMES: SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS AT 4:30PM!
FOR TICKETS & GROUP RESERVATIONS CALL: 212-633-6629
Season Run:
Oct. 6, 2007 - Feb. 23, 2008
Saturday Rehearsals: 2:00-6:30pm
Four Age Groups/ Four Productions
Ages: 5-18 years old
CLICK
HERE FOR THIS SEASON'S PRESS RELEASE!
CLICK
HERE THIS SEASON'S FLYER!
FALL 2007 WORLD-PREMIERE SHOWCASE:
UGLY DUCKLING
Music & Lyrics by: Frank Sanchez & Mehr Mansuri
"Don't Laugh At Me" by: Steve Seskin &
Allen Shamblin
Adaptation by: Mehr Mansuri
Additional Dialogue by: Morrighan Clinco
Directed by: Mehr Mansuri & Morrighan Clinco
Based on Original Story by: Hans Christian Andersen
THE LORAX & MR. MONEY BAGS!
Adaptation, Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
Directed by: Jill Bolstridge
Choreographer: Alison Courter
Inspired by Original Story by: Dr. Seuss
WAYWARD KNIGHT
Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
Adapted by: Mehr Mansuri
Directed by: Mehr Mansuri
Choreographer: Nathalie Dispagne
NOTES ON A PRAYER
Directed by: Hiram Pines
Assistant Director: Patrice Fyffe
Playwrights: Aaron Chieu, Robin Henao,
Celestina B. Layne, Sebrena Mason, Annelis Rodriguez
Choreographer: Celestina Bradsher-Layne
UGLY DUCKLING
Music & Lyrics by: Frank Sanchez & Mehr
Mansuri
"Don't Laugh At Me" by: Steve Seskin &
Allen Shamblin
Adaptation by: Mehr Mansuri
Additional Dialogue by: Morrighan Clinco
Directed by: Morrighan Clinco & Mehr Mansuri
Based on Original Story by: Hans Christian Andersen
A mother duck hatches her egg and while most of her ducklings are 'normal',
one is grey, too large and too clumsy to fit in among the others. Though
she tries to help the other animals of barnyard accept the 'ugly duckling',
they can't see past the outer appearance or how different the duckling
is. Blending the old with the new, contemporary characters depicting
kids with disabilities, those who have been discriminated against, or
those who simply seek kindness are introduced into this heart-warming
story of search for love and a place in the world.
THE LORAX & MONEY BAGS!
Adaptation, Music & Lyrics
by: Lory Lazarus
Directed by: Jill Bolstridge
Choreographer: Alison Courter
Inspired by Original Story by: Dr. Seuss
Bewitched by the beauty of the Truffula Trees, an enterprising villain
gets greedy and chops down the wonderous Truffula trees to produce and
mass-market "Thneeds."The Lorax is not only an ecological
warning, but also speaks to the dark side of "free enterprise"
at it most depraved and greedy state.
WAYWARD KNIGHT
Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
Adapted by: Mehr Mansuri
Assistant Editor & Director by: Julia Motyka
Choreographer: Nathalie Dispagne
This is the tale of a brave knight who sets out one day to serve
his King. "Will you be slaying fire-breathing dragons and saving
beautiful maidens?" asks his squire. "If the King commands
me," he replies. "I will not be an errant knight, wandering
about seeking adventure." But as he rides toward the castle, frightened
travelers seek the knight's aid and protection. Though he resists, something
inside will not allow him to refuse. He presses on, but his mission
is delayed again and again as the knight stops to help those in need.
Has he been loyal to the King by following his heart, or has he been
an errant knight after all? Has the King's Knight been loyal to the
King by following his heart, or has he been a wayward knight after all?
FALL 2007 PROGRAM CREDITS
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Founder/Artistic Director:
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Mehr Mansuri
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Co-Artistic Director:
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Jill Bolstridge |
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Company Manager:
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Akeeba Butler
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Production Managers:
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Celestina Bradsher-Layne Patrice Fyffe |
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Associate Directors:
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Morrighan Clinco Hiram Pines |
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Speech & Diction:
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Ethan Baum |
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Choreographers:
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Celestina Bradsher-Layne |
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Music Directors/Composers:
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Lory Lazarus |
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Development Director:
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Steven Flythe |
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Communications Director:
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Amelia Tyson |
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Set Designers:
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Andreea Mincic |
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Costume Designer:
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Jechibea Adu-Peasah
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Ethics Education Coordinator:
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Nura Poursharif |
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Ethics Education Teachers:
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Nima Ashraf |
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Guest Teaching Artists:
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Ethan Baum Emily Reutlinger Ashley Springer Chapin Springer |
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Teacher Training Consultants:
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Sahba Rohani Dr. John Woodall |
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Band:
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Steve Maskell (Drums)
Eric Salazar (Violin) Frank Sanchez (Keyboard) Naomi Watanabe (Drums) |
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Assistant Stage Managers:
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Nicquetta Booker |
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Website
Designer:
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Ridvan Foxhall
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Graphics Designer:
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Azita Shahidi |
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Tech Director:
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Celestina Bradsher-Layne |
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Box
Office Manager:
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Rebecca Myles
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Recording Engineer:
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Jeff Philips |
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Company Photographer:
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Bill Aristovulos |
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Facilities Managers:
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Clyde Herring Narine Singh |
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Board of Directors:
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Aref Amanat Leda Duif Travis Granfar Karida Griffith Jack Lenz Mehr Mansuri Desi K. Robinson Shervin Setareh Eugene Zee |
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Board of Advisors:
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Niki Abrishamian |
CTC MUSICAL REPERTOIRE AND PLAY SUMMARIES
THE
BUTTER BATTLE MUSICAL
Adaptation by: Lory Lazarus & Jill Bolstridge
Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
Inspired by Original Story by David Kirk
Engaged in a long-running battle, the Yooks and the Zooks develop more
and more sophisticated weaponry as they attempt to outdo each other.
In this battle between the two neighbors, (over which way to butter
your bread!), Dr. Seuss masterfully relates how petty differences must
be considered in a constructive way. Allusions to the Cold War, like
the wall dividing the two sides, is Dr. Seuss's vehicle for conveying
the astounding destructive potential behind a war where the enemies
lose sight of their true goals. The war ends up getting fought for the
wrong reasons - reminding us of the danger and the prejudice attached
to such battles which can eat away at our morals, our societies, and
our motives. While the underlying theme to the book is the absurdity
of battle, Dr. Seuss tries to convey that people must overcome their
pride to live in peace.
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BIG
SHOES, SMALL FEET: A Footprint of Child Heroes
Written by: Mehr Mansuri
Research by: Mehr Mansuri & Desi Robinson
Music Score: Eric Dozier & Clara Bowden Kerby
An International music review of songs, dance and true stories
of young heroes and heroines from around the world set against a backdrop
of a musical score Africa, Latin America, India, France, Russia, Israel,
China, Spain and Italy.
CAUCASIA
Adapted by: Jill Bolstridge
& Mehr Mansuri
Inspired by Original Award Winning Story by Danzy Senna
Birdie
and Cole are the daughters of a black father and a white mother, intellectuals
and activists in the Civil Rights Movement in 1970's Boston. The sisters
are so close that they have created a private language, yet to the outside
world they can't be sisters: Birdie appears to be white, while Cole
is dark enough to fit in with the other kids at the Afro-centric school
they attend. For Birdie, Cole is the mirror in which she can see her
own blackness.
FARMER RABBIT'S FIESTA
Written by: Mehr Mansuri
Music & Lyrics by: Frank Sanchez & Mehr Mansuri
On a cold, blustery day, Roscoe
Rabbit hops down the path to Farmer Haystack's vegetable patch where
he collects all the potatoes, corn, turnips, carrots, apples, and berries
that Farmer Haystack left behind. Roscoe Rabbit was very content as
he filled every corner of his burrow with food for the winter. Later,
as he sat outside eating his turnip, his neighbors passed by; Billy
Chipmunk, Molly Mouse. Tina Chickadee and Rusty Robin, each hungry and
shivering with cold because they could find no food for the winter.
How can Farmer Rabbit show compassion to his neighbors? In
this story Roscoe Rabbit prepares a big feast / fiesta and invites all
his neighbors and friends.
FREEDOM SONG: Youth Can Move the World
Written by: Mehr Mansuri
Research by: Mehr Mansuri & Michael Harley
Music Director: Eric Dozier, Kim & Michael Harley
Civil
Rights through Sit-ins, Slogans, and Song
Wyatt Tee Walker: "I don't think any
white person can really understand what it is to be a Negro in America."
Martin Luther King, Jr.: "There
will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted
his citizenship rights."
Laurie Pritchett: "We didn't want to be forced into doing something,
which is one sense what it was. We were intimidated, we were threatened."
Today we will travel to many communities and relive the voices of the
peoples' songs and their stories, testimonies and mass meetings. We're
hear to tell you the story of the youth, the children as well as an
impressionistic history of the civil rights movement from Montgomery
through Nashville, Albany, Birmingham and Mississippi- while tracing
the development and spread of the freedom repertoire.
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THE
GIVING TREE
Adapted by: Mehr Mansuri
Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
Inspired by Original Story by Shel Silverstein
The true story of a tree who gives unconditionally and selflessly. Music by critically acclaimed Lory Lazarus, composer for PBS' beloved Barney and Cartoon Network's Courage the Cowardly Dog
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GOLD
IN FIRE:
A Tapestry of Historical Heroes and Heroines
Written by: Mehr Mansuri
Research by: Mehr Mansuri & Aubrey Ewing
Music Score: Eric Dozier
Highlights such champions as Dizzy Gillespie, Harriet Tubman,
Helen Keller, Anne Frank, Lucy Stone, Persian poet Tahirih, Albert Einstein,
Muhammad Ali, Joan of Arc, Albert Schweitzer, Luis Gregory, Unita Blackwell,
Cesar Chavez and Mahatma Ghandi with spiritual classics as well as original
music by internationally acclaimed gospel sensation Eric Dozier.
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HORTON
THE ELEPHANT
Adaptation by: Mehr Mansuri
Music & Lyrics by: Frank Sanchez & Mehr Mansuri
Additional Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
Inspired by Original Story by Dr. Seuss
Lazy Daisy does a salsa through the woods straight to Miami
Beach and cons the faithful elephant to sit on her nest. A heartfelt
story about a steadfast elephant who declares his faithfulness against
a sassy flamenco musical score.
KING KUNKA BUNKA & HIS ROTTEN
ROYAL RASCALS
Written by: Mehr Mansuri
Music & Lyrics by: Frank Sanchez & Mehr Mansuri
Additional Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
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An
original musical in rap with rousing Russian-style music anddance --this
is the story of the land of Kunka Bunka which is ruled by a kind and
benevolent King, who is consumed with worry as he discovers that none
of his rotten royal rascal children are suited to govern the land. There
are the three Princess sisters, Proudeska, Jealousina and Chatterina
and their Prince brothers, Rudekov, Slackoff, and Coughkof - the sickly
one, with the glum disposition. To discover which child might be best
as royal heir, the King asks each of his children to wear the magical
'see-through spectacles' that allows them to see 'inside themselves'.
As none of the rotten royal rascals are fit to fill royal shoes, the
despondent King banishes his children from the palace assigned to work
as common citizens, until they have learned the secret to happiness.
THE LAST FLOWER
Adapted by: Mehr Mansuri
Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
Inspired by Original Story by James Thurber
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"World
War XXII, as everybody knows, brought about the collapse of civilization...Then
one day, a young girl who had never seen a flower chanced to find
the last one in the world..."
Powerful, entertaining, thought-provoking, and hope-restoring. What happens after that is remarkable and renews the spirit. Through the act of taking care of this flower, together, the young girl and the boy who helps her, begin to bring the good back into the world. When war comes into our living rooms and is on every channel, there's no way for children to escape its ugliness. In this time of uncertainty about what's going on in the world, this parable offers hope.
LETTERS TO GOD
Conceived & Edited by:
Mehr Mansuri
Written by: CTC Youth Repertory & Children
Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
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Children's
candid letters to God asking tough questions - with humor and irony.
Here's an excerpt:
"Dear MISS God, My name is Frankie.
There are so many questions that need answers....Like how do we get
so many people of different races and nationalities to accept each
other. America is a prime example, because here we've got races and
nationalities of almost EVERY KIND. They look different. They speak
different languages sometimes. But why does everyone have so much
trouble with that? Its a mess if you ask me. Everybody hates everybody
else. We have some terrible race-wars in this country....such violence
and suffering."
MISS SPIDER'S TEA PARTY
Adaptation by: Mehr Mansuri
Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
Additional Music & Lyrics by: Mehr Mansuri
Inspired by Original Story by David Kirk
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Miss Spider is shunned, despite the fact that she was so nice. All
the bugs were afraid because of who they thought she was. But when
a wet moth seeks her shelter, he sees her for who she really is. When
Miss Spider proves herself a friend, all the other insects come back
to play. Miss Spider's Tea Party brings home the notion that what
we see on the outside isn't always what is in the inside. Therefore,
we should give everyone a chance to be our friend. This musical adaptation
by Lory Lazarus perfectly illustrates the colorful bugs beginning
with the sweet and melancholy song of Miss Spider's lonely days to
colorful numbers such as "Bumble Bee Buzz Band" and the
"Six Legged Side Walker" -- all with a lively 6 person band!
NICKEL & DIMED
Adapted by: Jill Bolstridge &
Mehr Mansuri
Inspired by Original Award Winning Story by Barbara Ehrenreich
Ehrenreich first learns that there are hidden costs to being poor. She notes that if you cannot afford the security deposit for an apartment, you are forced to live in a hotel--which is ultimately more costly. If you have only a room, you cannot save money by cooking nutritious, cheap food. If you have no health insurance, you end up with significant and costly health problems. Tough questions confronting every minimum wage worker in America and perhaps for all Americans to consider.
PROVIDENCE: The Story of Roger Williams
Written by: Mehr Mansuri
Music & Lyrics by: Frank Sanchez & Mehr Mansuri
Told
in the voice of Roger Williams' young daughter, Mary, who witnesses
the court case in Boston where her father is accused of standing up
for preaching for religious freedom and against the Europeans' right
to Indian land. In perhaps the most dramatic period of American history,
and opening with a dramatic court hearing, Providence tells the story
of Roger Williams who was driven from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
in 1635 to expulsion into the wilderness, where he survives with the
help of his Narraganset Indian friends and goes on to found the settlement
of Providence, Rhode Island. Providence tells the story of a man's
integrity, conviction and belief in human rights and diversity in
all forms, race, ethnicity as well as religion.
RESCUE
ME: A Musical History of Women
Based on the book RESPECT by Dorothy Marcic
Adapted by: Mehr Mansuri
Music Editing by: Eric Dozier & Jack Lenz
For more than the first half of the last century, the voice of women
in Top-40 popular music has been one of neediness and dependency.
"I'll do anything for you; just be my baby-even if you're no
good and treat me bad- just LOVE me and I'll stand by my man; "
to landmark songs, like "I will survive" …R.E.S.P.E.C.T
is the musical evolution of women in songs tracking the Top 40 from
1900 to modern day.
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THE
SNEETCHES on BEACHES
Adaptation, Music & Lyrics by: Lory Lazarus
Lazie Daisy didn't want to sit on her egg, she wanted to take off
and see the world, so she asks the trusting and kind-hearted Horton,
the elephant, to sit on the egg while she took a vacation. Horton
sits through the snow and sleet, through the icy cold of winter and
into the spring. Then hunters capture the elephant and take him to
a circus …squatting right on the tree, the egg and all. Poor
Horton, doesn't like being a captive, but being "faithful 100%",
he will not leave the egg. Then, just as the egg is about to hatch,
Mazie returns and wants to claim it.
SpoKEn
WoRd ReVoLUTion:
Poetry of a New Generation
Written by: CTC Youth Repertory
“Humanity’s
crying need will not be met by a struggle among competing ambitions
or by protest against one or another of the countless wrongs afflicting
a desperate age. It calls, rather for a fundamental change of consciousness….the
time has come for each human being on earth to learn to accept responsibility
for the welfare of the entire human family….to awaken in the
hearts of those who share this planet with a longing for unity and
justice. (Universal House of Justice Message - May 2001)
STONE SOUP
Written by: Mehr Mansuri
Music & Lyrics by: Frank Sanchez & Mehr Mansuri
Once upon a time, somewhere in post-war Eastern Europe, there was a
great famine in which people jealously hoarded whatever food they could
find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbors. One day a wandering
group of gypsies came marching down the road towards the village asking
to stay for the night. The townspeople seeing them coming, suddenly
became very busy, for gypsies are often hungry. So all the food washidden
under mattresses or in barns. There followed a battle of wits, with
the gypsies equal to the occasion. Stone soup? Why, of course, they
could make a wonderful soup of stones...but, of course, one must add
a carrot or cabbage...some meat and so it went. The very next day, the
gypsies continued their journey, leaving the little town and its people
behind. But the villagers never forgot them, NOR the lesson they had
learned.In fact, during the hardest of times, in such a time as this
tale, that little village thrived, because the townsfolk never forgot
how to make "stone soup".
YERTLE & MYRTLE THE TYRANT TURTLES
Adaptation, Music & Lyrics by: Lory
Lazarus
Inspired by Original Story by Dr. Seuss
Two
ferocious dictators decide that they needed to rule more and so they
command the other turtles to climb back-on-back to build them a throne,
higher and higher. Two little turtles named Jack & Mac, the first
brick at the bottom of the throne, plead with the majesties to let the
turtles free.
HOT CHOCOLATE HOUSE
Art Exhibition
PUPPETS
& MARIONETTES
Curated by Jechibea Adu-Peasah
From socks to cylinders- these puppets & marionettesare are made
from the most creative combination of materials. An urban story in a
miniature village; designed, painted and built by the children.
CAST OF FACES
Curated by Jeanine Gallina
Clay & plaster statues, sculptures & busts that reveal the faces
of the heroes and heroines that inspire each of us to think highminded
and be highminded.