Imagine Project Announces Its Cast For The World Premiere Of THE TALE OF TURANDOT

Imagine Project has announced the cast for its inaugural production, The Tale of Turandot, a World Premiere running for two weekends at The Colony Theatre in Burbank, California, from Thursday, November 7, through Sunday, November 17, 2019, with Opening Night taking place on Friday, November 8. The cast will include Joe DeSoto as Arlekino, Matthew Henerson as Pedrolino, Mueen Jahan as Pantaloon, Makha Mthembu as Smeraldina, Arianne Villareal as Isabella and Aviva Pressman who will play Colombina. Inspired by the centuries-old story, Armina LaManna wrote and will direct this family friendly production, which is geared toward children between the ages of four and twelve years old. It incorporates puppetry and video projections, with many other creative elements. For more information on The Tale of Turandot, please visit http://imagineprojectca.com.

Imagine Project is Los Angeles's new Equity theatre for young audiences. The company is dedicated to telling stories that spotlight a diverse array of female heroes. The Tale of Turandot will run for nine performances from November 7th through the 17th for the public, plus five school matinee performances. Showtimes for the first weekend include 7:00 pm for one Preview Night on Thursday, November 7th; Opening Night on Friday the 8th at 7:00 pm; two shows on Saturday the 9th at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, and a 4:00 pm performance on Sunday, November 10th. There will be four public shows on the second weekend, beginning on Friday the 15th at 7:00 pm; two shows on Saturday the 16th at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, with the final performance on Sunday, November 17th at 4:00 pm. Tickets are priced at $17 for patrons 12 years old or under, and $25 for the general public. The Colony Theatre is located at 555 N. Third St., Burbank, CA 91582. Join the cast and crew for a reception at the theatre following the Opening Night performance.

Imagine Project's inaugural production, The Tale of Turandot, is a modern theatrical puppetry experience for elementary school-aged children. The fable, perhaps best known as Giacomo Puccini's final opera, is set in China and involves Prince Calaf, who falls in love with the "cold" Princess Turandot. LaManna wanted to give Turandot her own voice after reading Carlo Gozzi's 1762 play and later seeing Pucchini's opera, challenging the idea that female characters who are smart are somehow less feminine, less desirable and less human. In the original tale, to obtain permission to marry Princess Turandot, a suitor has to solve three riddles; any wrong answer results in death. LaManna's retelling, however, reinterprets events specifically from the perspective of Turandot, a young woman forced to get married at a very young age before she has had the chance to explore the world and learn about herself. This World Premiere play is a multimedia commedia dell'arte experience that includes original music, puppetry, circus and multimedia elements.

"We are very excited to bring professional and relevant storytelling to kids in Los Angeles, and hope to create an experience that our young viewers will carry with them for a long time," said LaManna. "Study after study strongly demonstrates the impact high-quality plays have on children's empathy and education. We believe our work to be a vital part of raising compassionate, courageous and erudite children in today's world."

To expand an awareness of the company and its mission, this past spring Imagine Project introduced its official Ambassador, Penny Johnson Jerald of Fox's The Orville fame, among others.

CREATIVE TEAM:

• Written and Directed by Armina LaManna

• Set Design by Thomas Buderwitz

• Lighting Design by Avery Reagan

• Costume Design by Dianne Graebner
• Video Projection Design by Lily Bartenstein

• Puppet Design by Alexander "Jürgen" Ferguson

• Music by Shahen Hagobian

• Sound Design by Jon Steinmeier

• Stage Managed by Elna Kordijan

• Produced by Armina LaManna & Laura Hill

CAST:
• Joe DeSoto - Arlekino
• Matthew Henerson - Pedrolino
• Mueen Jahan - Pantaloon
• Makha Mthembu - Smeraldina
• Arianne Villareal - Isabella
• Aviva Pressman - Colombina