Arden Theatre Company Presents The Borrowers, Closes 1/30

As part of Arden Children's Theatre, Arden Theatre Company presents The Borrowers, an adaptation of the beloved children's novel by Mary Norton, who also penned the classic story Bedknobs and Broomsticks . The Borrowers will close January 30, 2011.

The Borrowers follows Arietty Clock, a typical tween yearning to experience the grownup world. Only difference? She and her tiny family live on doll house furniture under the floorboards. When their home is discovered, they are forced into the giant universe outside and Arrietty gets a bigger adventure than she bargained for. Children of all ages will relate to Arietty's struggle between parents and independence, safety and discovery. The play also explores the definition of home, as the Clocks' story parallels those of displaced families bravely making a new life in an unfamiliar setting.

"Arden Children's Theatre has become a cornerstone of our programming," says Terrence J. Nolen, Arden's producing artistic director. "We are thrilled thousands of families have made the Arden a treasured holiday tradition. Like many of these past productions, The Borrowers is based on a beloved series of children's books, bringing to life the Arden's mission to tell great stories by great storytellers - for all ages."

Whit MacLaughlin, director of The Borrowers, has directed multiple award-winning Arden Children's Theatre shows, most recently, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, which was nominated for four 2010 Barrymore Awards. The Borrowers presents a new theatrical challenge, which excites MacLaughlin. "We're attempting to make the big and small coexist on the stage for this adventure story," he says. "The script demands we shift the scale back and forth, and we'll use a variety of techniques -shadows, puppets, an ominous musical score - to make the audience feel what it is to be tiny in a massive world." Both MacLaughlin's productions of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Roald Dahl's The BFG experimented with scale, and the design team for The Borrowers will work with MacLaughlin to represent a world for characters just five inches tall.

The Arden commits the same resources to theatre productions for families as their main stage work, especially by hiring the same designers and actors. The creative team tasked with creating a world both big and small includes set designer Lewis Folden (2003 Barrymore nomination for The Boxcar Children), lighting designer Drew Billiau (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie), costume designer Rosemarie E. McKelvey (2010 Barrymore nomination for Sunday in the Park with George, 2009 Barrymore Award for Something Intangible), and sound designer Nathan A. Roberts (Ferdinand the Bull) and puppet designer Aaron Cromie (The BFG, A Prayer for Owen Meany).

Philadelphia theatre veterans comprise the cast, playing both the tiny Clock family and the human beings they encounter, including Bi Jean Ngo as the adventurous Arietty (The Threepenny Opera, Peter Pan) and her parents played by William Zelinski (The Seafarer) and Catherine Slusar (The BFG, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Syringa Tree). Other cast members include Steve Pacek (2010 Barrymore nomination for If You Give a Mouse a Cookie), Marcia Saunders (Barrymore nomination for Sideways Stories from Wayside School), and Delanté G. Keys (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest at People's Light, Fatebook at New Paradise Laboratories)

Recommended for families with children ages five and older, every performance of The Borrowers includes a post-show question and answer session with the cast, an opportunity to meet the actors in the lobby after the performance, and a free commemorative show poster for all kids. This production is sponsored by PECO.

Single ticket prices are $16-$32, with discounted ticket prices for kids and teens. Groups of 20+ enjoy significant discounts, with additional resources and classes available for teachers; please inquire for rates. Call the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122, order online at www.ardentheatre.org, or visit the box office at 40 N. 2nd Street in Old City, Philadelphia.

To further enhance the performance experience, kids ages seven and older are invited to join the Family Usher Network (FUN) with their adult chaperones. FUN gives kids a behind-the-scenes peek at how plays are created, instills the value of community involvement and teaches valuable social skills. FUN ushers receive an exclusive backstage tour, hand out programs, tear tickets, seat patrons and help straighten up the theatre after the show. For information call the box office at 215.922.1122.

 

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