New CLASSICS ON TOUR Visits 14 Venues with the Tale of Huck Finn

Great Lakes Theater (GLT) will launch a new Classics on Tour production of HUCK FINN, a free touring show scheduled to visit fourteen neighborhood libraries and other public venues throughout northeast Ohio. The one-act play is based on Mark Twain's classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, adapted by Eric Schmiedl and directed by GLT Director of Educational Programming Lisa Ortenzi. It features a touring company of four artists. The tour commences on February 6th, continues through March 3rd and is a classics-inspired, educational performance for families and school-aged children (recommended for third-eighth grade) with a strong message of cooperation, acceptance and choosing peaceful solutions. All public performances of the touring production are free and open to the public.

Great Lakes Theater, and its Classics on Tour series, is supported by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, FirstEnergy Foundation, GAR Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, and The Nord Family Foundation. Generous season support is also provided by The Cleveland Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council.

"What an amazing opportunity we have here at Great Lakes Theater to bring live, free, professional theater for children into the community in the form of Classics on Tour," said David Hansen, Education Outreach Associate, about the company's annual tour. "For almost thirty years, our touring productions have created meaningful dialogues with audiences at across northeast Ohio. We look forward to engaging audiences in the theatrical process again this year with this original production, created especially for school-age children and their families. We are grateful to the many generous supporters who make this work possible and enable us to fulfill our mission while reaching out to the community."

In Huck Finn, two runaways - a boy and a slave - team-up for adventure on the mighty Mississippi! Huckleberry Finn finds freedom on the run, out-thinking colorful con-men, narrowly escaping a family feud, and even passing as a girl as he and Jim make their way down the "big river." On the journey, they learn lessons of integrity, dignity, and friendship. At turns dramatic then hilarious, two performers and one storytelling troubadour play a dozen characters in this timeless tale, uniquely adapted from Mark Twain's classic American novel.

The four-actor touring company features actors Chennelle Bryant-Harris, Chelsea Cannon,James Rankin and playwright/adaptor Eric Schmiedl as the musician. Lisa Ortenzi, Great Lakes Theater's Director of Educational Programming, directs the production. The design trio of Alison Garrigan (scenic design), Esther Montgomery Haberlen (costume design) and Brian Chismar(sound design) complete the play's creative team.

HUCK FINN is a sixty-minute program that includes an introduction and post-performance discussion. Times and dates are subject to change. Call individual venues for more information.

For more information and a complete list of tour venues, dates and times, visit http://www.greatlakestheater.org/ClassicsOnTour or contact Great Lakes Theater's education department at (216) 453-4444.

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