Tree Boy to Run at Olney Theatre Oct 17-23

Olney Theatre Center concludes its 2009 Family Entertainment Series with Tree Boy, its first eco-conscious play chosen to inspire awareness about the world in which we live. The production is presented in support of Silver Spring-based Trees for the Future, which helps international communities plant trees to restore life to degraded lands.

Tree Boy plays the Historic Stage October 17 through October 23. Tickets are $16; a $6 lap seat is available for children under three years of age who do not require a physical seat. Call the Box Office at 301.924.3400 or visit olneytheatre.org for tickets. (See Fact Sheet below for more information.)

Silent auctions featuring eco-friendly products are being held during the four weekend performances on October 17 and 18. Patrons will be able to bid prior to the start of each performance, and the winning bidders will collect their items as they leave the theater after the show. A portion of the proceeds from the auctions will benefit Trees for the Future's Tree Pals initiative. Tree Pals teaches students in developing countries about environmental issues. Classes in Honduras and Nicaragua are paired with partner schools in the United States.

When 10-year-old Avery discovers that his father plans to cut down his favorite tree, he is determined to become Enviro-Man. In order to save his tree, he convinces his best friend to live with him in it. No TV. No video games. Nothing. After his relationship with his best friend becomes strained, Avery wonders whether he has what it takes to be Enviro-Man, or if he is merely, as his sister calls him, a Tree Boy.

In the spirit of the play's message, the main portion of the set for Tree Boy is being built out of recycled and recyclable materials.

"The set for Tree Boy is, of course, a tree house," explains Associate Artistic Director Clay Hopper, director of this production. "We have decided that the tree will be made from both recycled and recyclable materials. Using these materials to build the tree that Avery is trying to save reinforces one of the important themes of the play: things we often throw away with thinking do in fact have value if we look at them in a different way."

All three actors in Tree Boy are alumni of National Players Tour 59, which performed Twelfth Night and Call of the Wild. Dan Van Why returns to Olney to perform as Avery, after playing Tootles in Peter Pan. Other credits include Big River and The Glass Menagerie (u/s) at Olney, Urinetown at Red Branch Theatre, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Oliver! at Theatre on the Hill. Ryan Mitchell (Dad/Chris) has performed with National Players Summer Shakespeare, Chevy Chase Players, Heritage Theatre Company, and The Vagabond Theatre. Branda Lock (Sam/Janine/Mom) shared the stage with Dan in Peter Pan. Having recently participated in her first Capital Fringe Festival, Branda's other credits include If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Harold and the Purple Crayon (Adventure Theatre), and Jekyll & Hyde (Cumberland Theatre).

In addition to director Clay Hopper, the creative team for Tree Boy includes Sasha Goldstein (Scenic Design), Victoria Roberts (Costume Design), Andrew Scharwath (Lighting Design), Elizabeth Itoop (Sound Design), and Mary Lide (Stage Manager).

Tree Boy was written by Michele Riml, a critically acclaimed playwright from Vancouver, British Columbia. Her plays have been produced across Canada and in the United States, including The Globe Theatre, The Grand, the Arts Club Theatre, and the Belfry. Other plays include Miss Teen, Under The Influence, RAGE (winner of the 2005 Sydney Risk prize for Outstanding Original Play), and the acclaimed Poster Boys, which premiered at the Arts Club Theatre in 2008. Her plays for young audiences, commissioned by Green Thumb Theatre for Young People, include Cool, Invisible Girl, The Skinny Lie, and Tree Boy. Ms. Riml was nominated for the 2008 Siminovitch Prize.

BOX OFFICE: 301.924.3400; olneytheatre.org