PAPER BAG PRINCESS At Hopkins Center Opens 4/17

The world premiere of "The Paper Bag Princess" opens Friday, April 17 at Stages Theatre Company (STC), which is located in the Hopkins Center for the Arts.

Jennifer Kirkeby and Shirley Mier, the playwright and composer duo who charmed audiences with "Madeline's Christmas" (2007) and "The Mitten by Jan Brett" (2008), present a brand-new adaptation of this classic tale by Robert Munsch.

Despite her hectic schedule of being an actor, playwright and Acting Conservatory Director for STC, Kirkeby could not pass up the offer to adapt this book. "It's a fabulous girl power story. It makes us rethink the typical fairy tale in which the princess waits for her prince to appear so that she can feel complete. Let's just say that this story has a nice twist!"

During the script-writing process, Kirkeby was fortunate to receive added support from colleagues. "I'm so lucky to have a composer like Shirley Mier to collaborate with. We send ideas back and forth, try different things, and eventually we decide what we believe will work best for our audience. I am also lucky to have Bruce Rowan (STC's Manager of New Play Development). He is excellent at bringing up questions that I don't always think of."

"The Paper Bag Princess" opens Friday, April 17 and runs through Sunday, May 17. To purchase tickets, please visit www.stagestheatre.org for performance dates and times, and to purchase tickets or call the box office at (952) 979-1111, Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $11 for children (ages 4-17), with lap passes available for free (ages 0-2) and $5 for (ages 3-4) and seniors (60+). The show is recommended for all ages and is about 60 minutes in length.

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season, Stages Theatre Company was founded in 1984 and since then has grown to become one of the largest professional theatres for young audiences in the country. We engage young artists with production themes relevant to their lives and create works featuring young people in meaningful roles. Through theatrical productions, workshops, conservatory classes and other outreach programs, Stages Theatre Company annually serves more than 120,000 young people and their families.