Florida Rep's Lunchbox Theatre Series Presents THE IMAGINATORS

A Make-Believe Adventure Opens Florida Rep's Lunchbox Theatre Series

Florida Repertory Theatre announced that its popular Lunchbox Theatre Series opens in December with The Imaginators, an epic make-believe adventure about the power of imagination. Perfect for kids of all ages, Imaginators plays Dec. 16 & 17 at 11am in the Arcade Theatre, and the $12 admission price includes the performance, lunch and an interactive post-show workshop.

"This is a really wonderful play to open the Lunchbox Theatre Series with this season," says Florida Rep's Education Director, Rachael Endrizzi, "in addition to being incredibly funny to watch, it has a really genuine and heartfelt message about the power of make-believe, individuality and the importance of making friends. Families will really fall in love with this play, and we are delighted to kick off the Series with it."

In The Imaginators, Tim and his big sister, Anne, just moved to a new town, and they don’t know any of the kids in their new neighborhood. Afraid she’ll get picked on, Anne doesn’t want to be seen playing “childish” games with her kid brother. But when they meet the girl from next door – the fabulous Nina Frances Elizabeth Vanderhelden – she takes Tim and a reluctant Anne on an epic make-believe adventure! Using only moving boxes and the stuff they find inside them, the three heroes battle a child-eating monster, and discover their strengths, the value of cooperation, individuality, and the unlimited power of their own imaginations. This inventive and exciting play is a journey into a forgotten world of creativity and fantasy that we ALL possess – if we just know where to look for it.

In addition to the Saturday morning performance designed to give families a day at the theatre, The Imaginators will also be presented on Friday, December 16 at 11am. This special Friday morning performance is custom-designed as a Florida Rep Field Trip Opportunity for schools, day cares and other groups interested in supplementing their arts curriculum by bringing their students to the theatre. Both performances include a bagged lunch from Florida Rep's restaurant partner, the Morgan House, a post-show discussion with the actors and an interactive workshop given by The Edison & Ford Winter Estates' Wild Wizard.

The production features Florida Rep's acting intern company, Julianne Avolio, Taylor Murphy Hale, Robert Mitchel Owenby and Hallie Wage. These young theatre artists are making their professional debut with Florida Rep, and will spend the season working in many different capacities, but chiefly performing with The Children's Theatre Series.

Florida Rep's Education Associate, Claire K. Guy (Amelia Earhart; Sleeping Beauty), directed the production, and was joined by an expert team of designers - all of whom are residents in their field at Florida Rep. Chris Simpson, the company's technical director, served as the scenic designer, Roberta Malcolm designed the costumes, Kate Smith designed the sound, and Props Artisan, Jenn Williams, designed the many inventive and imaginative props - including a larger than life child-eating-monster puppet.

The Imaginators by Dwayne Hartford, plays in the Historic Arcade Theatre on Friday and Saturday, December, 16 and 17 at 11am. Tickets are $12 and available online at www.floridarepeducation.org or through the box office at 239-332-4488.

Florida Rep's Educational programming is generously sponsored by Grampy's Charities, the City of Fort Myers Public Art Committee, LCEC, Florida Theatrical Association, Parent & Child Magazine, Publix Charities, the Alliance for the Arts and Arthur Zupko.

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