The Gaslight Theatre of Enid celebrates 15 years of Children’s Theatre productions with the return of Hansel and Gretel, March 16,17,23 and 24.
This year’s play, an original take on the Brothers Grimm classic, was written by Enid native Mary Aiaka Kent.
“Fifteen years ago, I pushed for Gaslight to start these children theatre productions and I directed Hansel and Gretel that very first year,” Kent says. “I wanted to celebrate this special anniversary with a new but familiar take on the classic story.”
Join Hansel and his sister, Gretel, as they wander through the magical woods, encountering fairies, trolls, and witches. But be assured these witches are funny and often sweet. There are laughs for the entire family.
Children’s Theatre productions were originally added to Gaslight Theatre’s annual offering of plays as a way to introduce children to live theatre in a family-friendly atmosphere for an affordable price. Adult actors bring fairy tales to life in a way that is fun and sometimes silly. Performances are shorter to accommodate children’s attention spans and performance times have been adjusted with nap times in mind. Since the beginning, Children’s Theatre has been a highly anticipated part of the Gaslight season with children and adults alike.
“At first, we were taking a chance with children’s theatre but audiences, young and old, just loved it. We have kids who saw that first Hansel and Gretel, fell in love with theatre, and perform on our stage today,” says Kent. “My assistant directors, Mazee Bookout and Sam Coleman, were both kids who saw an early Childrens Theatre production and went on to join Gaslight Teens. It’s like we’ve come full circle.”
Hansel and Gretel is produced in cooperation with KH Financial of Enid who will also be donating their producer’s night performance to 4RKids.
“We can’t thank the folks at KH enough for their support,” says Kent. “They have been fantastic partners and we’re so excited that 4RKids gets to bring the clients they serve and their families to experience live theatre at Gaslight.”
Performances of Hansel and Gretel are March 16, 17, 23 and 24. Performances begin at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. The show is one hour long with an intermission and provided snacks.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased through the Gaslight website, www.gaslighttheatre.org, by calling 580-234-2307, or in person at the Gaslight Theatre box office located at 221 N. Independence, Enid, OK.
About Gaslight Theatre:
The Gaslight Theatre of Enid was founded in 1966 and is one of Oklahoma’s oldest, most active community theatres. Its mission is to provide a wide spectrum of high-quality theatrical entertainment to a broad audience in Enid and the surrounding communities, and to provide a setting for nonprofessional actors, directors, designers and technicians to learn and practice their art. Audition and ticket information is available on the Gaslight Theatre website, www.gaslighttheatre.org.
The Oklahoma Arts Council is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts. The agency’s mission is to lead in the advancement of Oklahoma’s thriving arts industry. The Oklahoma Arts Council provides hundreds of grants to organizations in communities statewide each year, organizes professional development opportunities for the state’s arts and cultural sector, and manages the art collections at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Additional information is available at arts.ok.gov.
