Hangar Theatre's Kiddstuff Season Opens With THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH

The Hangar Theatre Company opens their KIDDSTUFF season with The Phantom Tollbooth by Susan Nanus with performances from June 20-22.

Journey with Milo through the Land of Wisdom on her quest to help the exiled Princesses Rhyme and Reason from the Land of Ignorance in this adaptation of the beloved children's fantasy novel! In creating peace and balance amidst the conflict between Words and Numbers, Milo discovers a joy in learning that cures her bouts of boredom. Themes: Imagination, Logic, Adventure.

Directed by Amanda McRaven, this version of the classic story has a female-fronted cast full of "queens" instead of "kings" and a female Milo. "I wanted the kids in our audience to see a world where women are the protagonists, the rulers, the bad guys and the good guys, where they aren't rescued from towers by men, and where men and women share agency. As a storyteller, my wish is for all children to grow up knowing that adventure stories don't belong to any one gender," says McRaven, a member of the Hangar Drama League Directing Fellows.

The first four KIDDSTUFF shows feature the work of the Hangar's Drama League Directing Fellows and members of the Hangar Theatre Lab Company, a troupe of rising artists from across the nation. The Directing Fellows and Lab Company members also produce The Wedge series of free cutting-edge plays at the Cherry Artspace (for adults). hangartheatre.org/the-wedge

The Phantom Tollbooth will be followed by Lily Plants a Garden (July 4-6), Jack and The Beanstalk (July 11-13), Unicorn Girl (July 25-27), and Mary Poppins Jr. presented by the Hangar's Next Generation School of Theatre (August 1-3).

Ticket Information and Special Performances

All KIDDSTUFF shows take place Thursday-Saturday with performances at 10 AM and 12PM. Tickets are $9, or KIDDSTUFF subscriptions for all 5 shows can be purchased for just $39.

(Pay) What You Will: At every 12PM Saturday KIDDSTUFF performance, patrons may pay whatever they wish. These tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis starting one hour before curtain. This is made possible in part by Ithaca Bakery, sponsor of our (Pay) What You Will KIDDSTUFF performances.

Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased online at www.HangarTheatre.org or by phone at 607.273.ARTS(2787) as well as at the Hangar Theatre Box Office. The Box Office is open Monday-Saturday 12-PM., and one hour before every performance. All KIDDSTUFF performances take place at the Hangar Theatre.

The Hangar Theatre Company thanks KIDDSTUFF series sponsors: Guthrie; Wegmans; and Ithaca Child, as well as Partner in Education: Cornell University and Lab Company sponsor: Coltivare.

The Hangar Theatre is located at 801 Taughannock Blvd., north of Ithaca on Route 89 on the shores of Cayuga Lake. The Hangar Theatre building, once part of the Ithaca Municipal Airport, is home to the Hangar Theatre Company and serves as a venue for a variety of performing artists and community organizations.

Now in its 45th season, the Hangar Theatre Company offers professional theatrical productions throughout the year and a renowned education program.

For more information please call 607.273.ARTS (2787), or visit hangartheatre.org

Photo Credit: Rachel Philipson