Snowlion Repertory Company Opens THE ELEPHANT PIECE Tonight

A tribal dream of harmony and community is abruptly shattered by a band of roving vaudevillian miscreants who raucously sweep in and stage a faux "minstrel show" to gorge themselves on stories of violence and chaos, and thus the musical The Elephant Piece launches the audience on a journey into musical mayhem and absurdist spectacle that ultimately touches the heart and gives hope that our species might just survive its own destructive nature.

Snowlion Repertory Company, known for bringing new musicals to the stage, announces the New England premiere of The Elephant Piece by Darryl Curry. The Elephant Piece, developed in a collaborative workshop some years ago with Snowlion Rep co-founders Al D'Andrea and Margit Ahlin, had its premiere in New York City. Given the recent upsurge in news about elephants and the ongoing threats they face, Snowlion Rep has chosen to present the New England premiere production of The Elephant Piece at the Portland Stage Studio Theater opening Friday April 11.

The Elephant Piece is a musical fable that follows the exploits of the charmingly dysfunctional "Hackers" who chase after the last elephant on earth, each lusting for a piece of the elephant in the belief that it will make him or her whole. The gleeful greed of the singing and dancing Hackers collides with the innocent everyman Paul, who tries to shield his young son from the harsh realities of the modern world. But it is the unconditional love of this child and the innate wisdom of Elephant that proves a powerful force that catapults the play to its final dramatic conclusion. This musical tale is a funny, biting satire full of elephant lore, song-and-dance flights of fancy, and surreal imagery that blends to make an expressionistic carnival more relevant than ever as the majestic elephant once again faces unrelenting devastation by poachers.&n bsp;

Performances of The Elephant Piece are as follows:

Friday April 11 at 7:30 pm
Saturday April 12 at 7:30 pm
Sunday April 13 at 7:30 pm
Wednesday April 16 at 7:30 pm SPECIAL BENEFIT PERFORMANCE for the Elephants of Hope, Maine (details to follow)
Saturday April 19 at 2:00 pm
Saturday April 19 at 7:30 pm
Sunday April 20 at 7:30 pm

Performances are at the Portland Stage Studio Theater, 25A Forest Avenue, Portland. Tickets are $17 for all seats, available at www.snowlionrep.org or by calling (207) 518-9305. Please note: Mature themes.

The show is directed by Al D'Andrea with musical direction by Jim Colby and choreography by Betsy Dunphy. Lighting design is by Iain Odlin, costume design by Desiray Roy, set design by Craig Robinson, and prop design by Joseph Blough. The production stage manager is Lauren Gamble.