Act II Playhouse to Present RAINBOWTOWN, 4/11-19

Act II Playhouse is expanding its programming for families by presenting Rainbowtown, a new play for kids, on two weekends, April 11-19, 2015.

Rainbowtown is a hilarious, interactive play for kids, performed by professional actors and including original live music. It's designed for kids ages 3 to 8. Performances are 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays.

Rainbowtown was written by Carrie Nielsen, a resident of Bryn Mawr and a professor at Cabrini College. It is directed by her husband, Bill D'Agostino, the Communications and Education Director at Act II Playhouse.

"It's been so much fun writing a silly, goofy play for little kids," Nielsen said. "If it helps them learn how to talk about their feelings, that's great, but mostly I hope they have fun."

Tickets for Rainbowtown are $8 for kids, $10 for seniors and $12 for adults. Tickets are available by calling the Act II Box Office at (215) 654-0200 or online at www.act2.org. Box office hours are 2 to 6 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.

This is the first season that Act II has presented two productions for kids, and builds on the success of the Murray the Elf holiday mysteries.

Rainbowtown is about the journey of Queen Annie (Amanda Curry), who lives in a Greytown, a place with no emotion or color. When she spots a rainbow in the sky, she realizes there is more to life and begins a search for a new home. Amanda Jill Robinson, who was in Act II's production of Man of La Mancha, plays all nine of the characters that Queen Annie meets during her journey to find a new place to build her palace.

Costumes for Rainbowtown are designed by Melissa Murray. The show's songwriter/guitarist is Michael Covel.

When the play premiered during the 2014 FringeArts festival, Marissa Kiepert Truong, PhD, an early education consultant and a blogger for MetroKids Magazine, wrote, "Rainbowtown provides a unique opportunity for families to initiate a discussion about feelings which can strengthen skills in children that are not only necessary for learning new information but for succeeding in life."

"I hope you get the opportunity to enjoy Rainbowtown with your child," Truong concluded. "Take advantage of this play, as not only pure entertainment but also a cool learning experience, too!"

Act II Playhouse is expanding its programming for families by presenting Rainbowtown, a new play for kids, on two weekends, April 11-19, 2015.