Classic Musical THE CRADLE WILL ROCK to Kick Off Season 85 at the Annie Russell

The Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College kicks off its 85th season with The Cradle Will Rock. Written in 1937, Cradle is a musical allegory set in "Steeltown, USA."

It follows the efforts of Larry Foreman to unionize the town's workers. He's thwarted at every turn by the powerful Mr. Mister, a local businessman who controls much of the town.

Cradle was originally commissioned by the Federal Theatre Project (a "new deal" arts program) and directed by Orson Welles. Four days before its opening night on Broadway, the project was shut down because of its radical content. The creative team told the audience to come anyway. When patrons arrived at the locked theatre, they were led 21 blocks on foot to a new venue, and arrived to see the composer, Marc Blitzstein, alone on stage at a piano. As the music began, cast members rose from their seats in the audience and improvised staging through the rows (barred from performing unpaid "on stage" by their own union). The show ran for ten days, Welles and Blitzstein were promptly fired, and went on to create their own company.

Tony Simotes serves as visiting director for the project, and brings an impressive pedigree to the Department of Theatre and Dance. He directed the world premiere of Lisa Loomer's The Waiting Room at Mark Taper Forum in LA, and the world premiere of David Mamet's The Woods at the New York Shakespeare Festival's Public Theatre. He says of the piece, "Eighty years ago, history was made on Broadway with the opening of The Cradle Will Rock. Politics and theater collided to forge a new generation of artists willing to transform America. [Our production features] the next wave of young performers willing to stand up to the challenges of our age."

The Cradle Will Rock opens on September 29th and runs through October 7th. Tickets are $20, with discounts available for students and seniors. More information on the Annie Russell Theatre's upcoming production of The Cradle Will Rock may be found at www.rollins.edu/annie. For more information on the Department of Theatre and Dance at Rollins College, visit www.rollins.edu/theatre.