Abigail Taylor-Sansom & Dan Wilson Join Cast of Off-Broadway's THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

OFF-BROADWAY FAMILY THEATRE announced that Abigail Taylor-Sansom and Dan Wilson have joined the cast of the inaugural production of C.S. Lewis' "THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE". The production, which opened October 22, 2011, continues to play on Saturdays at 11 AM at St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46th Street (west of 8th Avenue), NYC. Beginning in October, the show will also be available for special school matinee performances.

Abigail Taylor-Sansom plays Lucy, The White Witch and others. Her recent stage credits include: Mary in Babes in Toyland (national tour), Mina in Dracula (Cohoes Music Hall), April in Company (Little Firehouse Theater), Yitzhak inHedwig and the Angry Inch (Company Carolina), Cathleen in Long Day's Journey Into Night (TheatreVision), and the title role in The Bully (national tour).

Dan Wilson plays Peter, Aslan and others. Dan has recently been seen onstage in Under the Greenwood Tree (The Flea Theater), The Beach Eagle (Dixon Place), and WOULD (New Ohio Theatre/FringeNYC), and is also an ensemble member of Chicago's Shattered Globe Theatre. Dan graduated from Northwestern University's Theatre program, and has studied with the Siti Company in New York.

Performances for school groups will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and can be arranged by calling 718-483-5989 or e-mail: narniaoffbroadway@gmail.com. Ms. O'Brien said "The combination of classic children's literature and a Live Theatre performance make it a perfect fit for an educational and entertaining school field trip."

In this inventive and highly theatrical adaptation of C.S. Lewis's beloved tale from the Chronicles of Narnia, two actors play eight characters, both human and animal. Through the magic of theatre, we travel to Narnia through the old wardrobe with the four Pevensie children, and get swept into their journey to stand with the great lion Aslan against the evil White Witch. As the children battle the forces of evil they discover that Love is the deepest magic of all.

As dramatized by le Clanché du Rand, the two actors play children, beavers, fauns, wicked witches and mythic lions, all under the direction of Julia Beardsley O'Brien. Set and lighting design is by Josh Iacovelli with costumes and masks by Tom Long.

Off-Broadway Family Theatre provides quality theatrical experiences for family audiences by presenting both new and classic plays targeted towards children while still appealing to adults.

"THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE" is its inaugural production. Ms. O'Brien said "We invite our audience to use its imagination. There is no fake snow or audience participation. Instead we create a 'magic circle' in the theatre. When the actors are INSIDE the circle, they are SHOWING you the story as it comes to life. When the actors step OUTSIDE the circle, they are TELLING you the story. Join us for our re-telling of this beloved magical classic."

Director Julia Beardsley O'Brien's NY directing credits include "The Rise of Dorothy Hale" (Assistant Director); the National Tour of "Gilligan's Island, the Musical" (assistant director); "Mad Forest" (QED Productions), "True Story Project: Faith" (Visible Theatre), and "Clucky, the Brave Little Hen" (Visible Theatre/Stone Barns Center). She has also worked as the Education Director for a non-profit theatre, a teaching artist for various organizations, and is an Off-Broadway Producer and General Manager with Jessimeg Productions.

Performances of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE began October 22nd at 11 AM at St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46th Street, west of 8th Avenue, NYC. Tickets at $35 are available through www.telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200. Running time is 45 minutes and the show is appropriate for children age five and older. For more information, visit www.narniaoffbroadway.com.