Savannah Rep to Host SMTF Festival and Free Toddler Takeover Event
RAINDOGS, LITTLE THINGS and THE SCARLET LETTER headline the festival at the Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center.
Savannah Repertory Theatre will present the second annual Savannah Musical Theatre Festival (SMTF) September 11–13 at the Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center, featuring three new musicals in concert-style readings and expanding the festival weekend with a Theatre for the Very Young experience for children ages 0–5 and their families.
Presented by Savannah Rep and led by Artistic Director Natasha Drena and Managing Director Jenn Bishop, SMTF brings audiences, writers, composers, producers, and theatre professionals together to experience new musical theatre while the work is still in development.
This year's festival lineup includes:
RAINDOGS
By Andrew MacBean, Boko Suzuki, and Paul Chant
Based on Balm in Gilead by Lanford Wilson
Directed by Matt Nickley
Music Direction by Andrew MacBean
LITTLE THINGS
Music, Lyrics & Concept by Bonnie Gleicher
Book by Brandon Michael Lowder
Directed by Ryan Alvarado
Music Direction by Jason Kraack
THE SCARLET LETTER
Book, Lyrics & Music by Christine Hand Jones & Kenady Sean
Based on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Directed by Luisa Nolasco
Music Direction by Ann-Carol Pence
On Sunday, September 13, Savannah Rep will launch its Theatre for the Very Young (TVY) program with Toddler Takeover, a morning of creativity and family fun beginning at 9 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. performance of Songs to Grow On from The Alliance Theatre.
An interactive concert featuring Woody and his dog Arlo, Songs to Grow On invites young children and their families into a playful musical world filled with beloved children's songs, movement, imagination, and sing-along fun.
“We want Savannah to be a place where people can encounter new theatre at every age,” said Drena. “Whether we're giving emerging musical theatre writers a stage or introducing young children to the magic of live performance, we're creating opportunities to inspire the next generation of storytellers.”
Toddler Takeover is free and open to the public, with reservations highly recommended.
A three-show festival subscription is $100 and includes admission to all three musicals as well as an invitation to the Theatre for the Very Young event. Individual tickets are also available.
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