Westport Country Playhouse to Present THE LIGHTNING THIEF, 2/8

Westport Country Playhouse's Family Festivities Series will present "The Lightning Thief," a new musical about mythological monsters based on the popular book series by Rick Riordan, on Sunday, February 8, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Produced by Theatreworks USA , the show is recommended for ages 7 to 12. Running time is approximately one hour. Tickets are $20.

In "The Lightning Thief," the central character Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy has ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Pre-show activities will begin one hour before each performance, at noon and 3 p.m., led by Mina Hartong, theater instructor at Regional Center for the Arts. Through creative play and adaptation, participants will extend the book, "The Lightning Thief," into their own version of a short play with storytelling and cooperation.

Theatreworks USA is America's largest and most prolific professional not-for-profit theater for young and family audiences. Since 1961, Theatreworks USA has enlightened, entertained, and instructed over 90 million people in 49 states and Canada, now performing for about three million people annually.

It is the only children's theater to receive both a Drama Desk and a Lucille Lortel Award. In addition, Theatreworks USA was the recipient of a Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award, and The Actors Fund of American bestowed its Medal of Honor upon its founders, Jay Harnick and Charles Hull.

The Playhouse's Family Festivities Series is presented on selected Sundays from November through March. Upcoming shows are: "Dog Loves Books," on Sunday, March 1, a musical about the irresistible Dog who decides to open his own bookstore; and "Curious George," on Sunday, March 29, about the inquisitive, lovable little monkey of books, movies, and the award-winning PBS television show.

At each Family Festivities performance, Westport Country Playhouse will once again host a book collection for Read to Grow, Inc. Bins will be located in the Playhouse lobby for donations of gently used and new children's books which will be given to families with limited access and to community resources that serve them in the greater Fairfield County area.

Family Festivities Corporate Sponsor is Pitney Bowes. Family Festivities Partner is Darlene Krenz. The series is also supported in part by Westport Young Woman's League.

Everyone in the audience requires a ticket. For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org.

Photo by Theaterworks USA

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