TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING Comes To The Jorgensen Center 9/27

Once upon a time, a quiet, sensible boy wished for a baby brother - and got much more than he bargained for. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, part of the Jorgensen Children's Series, supported by Bank of America, brings this tale of youthful sibling rivalry to the stage on Sunday, September 27 at 1 and 3 pm, at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.

From the moment his new, disgustingly cute, baby brother can walk, Peter Hatcher's life is a torment. Farley Drexel, the terrible toddler (who hates his legal name and prefers to be called "Fudge") throws tantrums, smears mashed potatoes on the walls, and refuses to open his mouth for the dentist. Fudge seems to get away with everything, whether he's creating a scene at the shoe store, or scribbling all over Peter's homework! It's enough to make a nine-year-old brother feel like a fourth grade nothing!

Fudge annoys his mother, his father, his father's business clients, and most of all, his older brother. Peter always has to help out with Fudge, who gets all the attention, while his brother gets all the blame when things inevitably go wrong. So when Peter's beloved pet turtle, Dribble, disappears, he just knows that Fudge is behind it. He must find a way to get his parents to pay attention to him for a change - an all-too-common problem for older Brothers and Sisters.

This hilarious play, based on Judy Blume's ever-popular book, takes a fun and honest look at the timeless travails of childhood angst. Blume's unfailing ear and big-hearted humor in dealing with deeply-rooted juvenile issues (like being utterly ignored) will keep young theater-goers enthralled, while older folks can look back on their own childhood "catastrophes" and wince - and then laugh and laugh. Childhood, after all, is not quite the time of innocence that people like to remember.

Fudge is horrid - totally, unabashedly horrid. And Peter must endure him. For Peter Hatcher, life eventually goes on, with a great deal of forbearance - and a dog named "Turtle."

Bring the whole family to this wonderful childhood time-out at Jorgensen, located at 2132 Hillside Road on the UConn campus in Storrs. Adult tickets are $13; children $11. For tickets and information, call the Box Office, Monday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm, at 860.486.4226, or order online at jorgensen.uconn.edu. Enjoy free, convenient parking across the street in the North Garage.