South Bend Civic Theatre Presents THE BOXCAR CHILDREN, 5/3-5

SBCT comes to Mishawaka to present the beloved children's classic story of four orphans making it on their own. Read by generations of children and the young at heart since first appearing in 1924, this play will remind you of the unshakable bonds of family and the true meaning of home. The play is adapted by Barbara Field from the story by Gertrude Chandler Warner, and will appeal to everyone ages 5 and up.

The Boxcar Children is directed by Jewel Abram-Copenhaver with a cast of talented youth and adults: Dale Banks, Lucy Barron, Elizabeth Bonne, Martha Branson-Banks, Soren Campbell, Zach Gassman, Jan Geha, Quynn Hickey, Erin Joines, TIM JOines, Brayden Lynam, Joe Roman, Siôn Shepley, Caleb Van Hook, and Mary Rose Weber.

Originally created and written by first-grade school teacher Gertrude Chandler Warner, the Boxcar Children book series includes over 100 titles. Aimed at youth grades 2nd through 6th, Warner read the stories to her classes and reshaped them according to the students' reactions. Many of her students were not native English speakers so The Boxcar Children was written with an ease of readability and sense of fun. Warner once wrote that the original book "raised a storm of protest from librarians who thought that the children were having too good a time without any parental control! That is exactly why children like it!"

Public performances are at the Battell Center in Mishawaka May 3-5. The Battell Center is located at 904 N. Main Street in Mishawaka. Tickets are currently on sale at $10 or 4 for $32. To order tickets call the SBCT box office 574-234-1112 (open M-F 12-6) or go online at www.sbct.org.

School performances will be Friday May 3 at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. To make ticket reservations or for information, contact Director of Education Sara Bartlett at 574-968-7496 or by e-mail at sarab@sbct.org.

For more information, please call the box office 574-234-1112 or go online at sbct.org.