Axis Theatre Company Will Present 18th Annual Production of SEVEN IN ONE BLOW, OR THE BRAVE LITTLE KID

Axis Theatre Company continues its 20th anniversary season with the 18th annual production of its beloved family holiday show, Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid. Adapted from the classic fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm, this festive, interactive winter play runs December 6-22 and is written and directed by Axis Artistic Director Randy Sharp (Axis Company's High Noon, Edgar Oliver's Victor). Though the poignant tale was created for kids, the Axis production-which teases out some of the many plausible subtexts and includes timely pop cultural references-resonates equally well for adults.

Set just before the holidays on a snowy winter day, Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid tells the story of a child living in the city who kills seven flies with a single swat and makes a belt emblazoned with "Seven in One Blow" to commemorate the event. The Kid travels through the snow and meets numerous colorful characters along the way, including the Scarlet Pimpernel, a Pea, December, a Witch, an Ogre, and a Princess. Most people think this belt refers to seven people and assign the Kid all kinds of difficult tasks based on this faulty presumption. Over the course of the take, invaluable lessons are learned: an Ogre finds that you don't always have to show how strong you are to be strong; a girl realizes that when you tease someone, you may be hurting a person who is just like you; and a scary monster understands that because she is loved, she may not be so scary after all. In the end, after a surprise twist, the Kid discovers that the love and care of a parent has no limits.

The cast of Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid-many of whom have participated since the first production, in 2002- includes Spencer Aste, Brian Barnhart, Regina Betancourt, George Demas, Britt Genelin, Laurie Kilmartin, Emily Kratter, Lynn Mancinelli, Edgar Oliver, Brian Parks, and Jim Sterling.

Written and directed by Randy Sharp, Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid features lighting design by David Zeffren (Amy Harper is Assistant Lighting Designer); sound design, music production and arrangements by Steve Fontaine, with additional sound design and music by Paul Carbonara; original music by Randy Sharp; costume coordination and styling by Karl Ruckdeschel; choreography by Lynn Mancinelli; set design by Chad Yarborough; prop design and construction by Lynn Mancinelli; illustration by Dan Killeen; and original production design by Kate Aronsson-Brown. Erik Savage serves as production stage manager.

Ten performances of Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid will take place December 6-22 at Axis Theatre, located at 1 Sheridan Square in Manhattan's West Village. Performances are Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm with an added show on Thursday, December 19 at 7pm. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and $5 for kids. The running time is 50 minutes and is appropriate for ages 4 and up. Tickets can be purchased online at axiscompany.org or by calling TheaterMania at 212.352.3101.

All proceeds for the performance on Saturday, December 14 at 3pm will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid is now published and is part of an eclectic repertoire of original and published plays that Axis Theatre Company has produced.

Visit axiscompany.org for more information.