The World Premiere of an Appalachian Adventure presented by VF Corporation takes the stage December 1 – 22, 2013
(Greensboro, NC) — Triad Stage’s Lucky Season continues with the world premiere of an Appalachian Adventure, Snow Queen by Preston Lane, with original music by Laurelyn Dossett. When a young boy disappears on a winter’s day in the heart of Appalachia, his best friend sets out to bring him home. So begins a journey through snow and ice, leaving the everyday world behind, as a magical winter time path leads deeper into a frozen kingdom. Inspired by the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, this world premiere adventure for audiences of all ages transports the story to the highest peaks of the Blue Ridge. From the creators of Brother Wolf, Beautiful Star, Bloody Blackbeard and Providence Gap, Snow Queen weaves music, magic and make believe to celebrate the courage of a brave young girl. Snow Queen runs December 1 – 22, 2013. Opening Night is Friday, December 6. The production is sponsored by VF Corporation, with support from Cone Health and Zuraw Financial Services.
Snow Queen is the latest in a series of successful collaborations between Triad Stage Artistic Director Preston Lane and singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett – each production reflecting the distinctive voice of the greater Appalachian region. “In the winter, when the snow fell and the pine trees were bowed over with the weight of the snow and the ice, the journey down to the creek and up that mysterious hillside up into the wilderness unknown was an extremely magical experience for a child.” Lane continues, “We explored what it is for a young girl to go off on a journey. To step into the woods and find a world of magic incorporating traditional folklore of the Appalachian region—not just the folklore of the Scottish and Irish heritage of the mountains but also Native American folklore.”
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
The creative team includes: scenic designer Howard C. Jones (My Fair Lady, New Music, Around the World in 80 Days), costume and puppet designer Bill Brewer (Wait Until Dark, Kingdom of Earth, Trouble in Mind, The Illusion), lighting designer Laura J. Eckelman (Triad Stage debut) and sound designer David E. Smith (Tennessee Playboy, Trouble in Mind, The Illusion, A Doll House). The dramaturg is Bryan Conger, Christine Morris is the resident vocal coach and Denise Gabriel is the resident movement director. Cindi Rush is the casting director, and the stage manager is Emily J. Mails.
THE CAST
The cast includes Gayton Scott (New Music) as The Story Weaver. Emily Gardner Hall (Triad Stage debut) is the Snow Queen, 12-year old Autumn Routt (A Christmas Carol) is Gertie, and 10-year old Nick Saunders (Triad Stage debut) is Cade. Rounding out the ensemble playing over 20 characters between them are Scott Pattison (My Fair Lady), Amy Hamel (Tennessee Playboy), Cinny Strickland (Steel Magnolias, Providence Gap, Beautiful Star) and Dori Legg (Triad Stage debut).
ABOUT TRIAD STAGE
Triad Stage is the professional not-for-profit regional theater company for the Piedmont Triad with performances in downtown Greensboro at The Pyrle and in downtown Winston-Salem at the Hanesbrands Theatre. All Triad Stage productions are created in the Triad using the best of local and national talent. Triad Stage gratefully acknowledges the support of its Season Sponsors: Blue Zoom, the North Carolina Arts Council, Arts Greensboro and The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. The starring sponsor for Snow Queen is VF Corporation with additional support from Cone Health and Zuraw Financial Advisors.
All Triad Stage productions feature the bold acting and breathtaking design that have been nationally recognized by The Wall Street Journal and by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards®, which named Triad Stage one of the top ten most promising theatres in the country as a recipient of the 2010 National Theatre Company Grant. Triad Stage has also earned accolades including “Best North Carolina Production of 2010” for The Glass Menagerie by Triangle Arts & Entertainment magazine; “One of the Best Regional Theatres in America”, New York’s Drama League; “Best Live Theater” (ten years running), Go Triad/News & Record and The Rhinoceros Times; and “Professional Theater of the Year” (2003, 2011), North Carolina Theatre Conference.
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