DOWNLOAD 2007 - 2008 BROCHURE

THE HUNDRED DRESSES
Based on the Newbery Honor Book by Eleanor Estes
Adapted by Bill Williams

On Tour August - December 2007
For grades 2 - 6 and family audiences

Wanda Petronski, the new girl in room 13, wears the same faded blue dress to school every day, but insists that she has a hundred bright, shiny new ones at home. As Wanda's story unfolds, her classmates learn the secret of the hundred dresses and with it, a lesson in tolerance, in taking responsibility and in living with the consequences of our actions.

An endearing tale based on the Newbery Honor Book by Eleanor Estes, The Hundred Dresses focuses on the difficult issue of bullying and how mistreating someone because he or she is different from oneself brings as much harm to the bully as to the victim.

" …For some background, the school was in an area that is ranked for having one of the highest crack rates in the nation. Many of the students are children of drug addicts while others are children of drug dealers. The difference was so apparent. There were children with acrylic nails and cell phones. And then there were the children who wore the same clothes every day and cried at winter break because the only place they ate was at school. The story of the blue dress is sadly not uncommon to these students.

When 'The Hundred Dresses' began I got the chills. I knew that those children in the audience were the children that needed to see it the most. The behavioral problems at the school are tremendous and yet they sat awestruck through the entire production. I was so touched and so hopeful. Hopeful that the students were touched as much as I was…" -Jillian Vukusich, Education Associate Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida

Based on the book THE HUNDRED DRESSES by Eleanor Estes and illustrated by Louis Slobodkin. Copyright 1944 by Harcourt, Inc. Copyright renewed 1972 by Eleanor Estes and Louis Slobodkin. Performed by permission of Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved. Illustration by Carl Cowden III

WOODLAND TALES
Originally adapted for the stage by the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble

On Tour September 2007 - May 2008
Grades pre-K - 3 and family audiences
PERFORMED IN THE ROUND

How did the turkey get his gobble? Why are the rabbit's ears so long? How did the frog lose his teeth? For hundreds of years, Native American children have delighted in stories of how animals came to be as they are. Like Kipling's Just So Stories, the Native American legends in Woodland Tales combine humor and wisdom to enchant the youngest among us.

Actors and audience sit together in the round, sharing the stories much as a tribe might have done around a campfire hundreds of years ago. Lively storytelling in an intimate setting and interactive audience participation make this a perfect first-time theater experience.

"I have seen several of your performances and all of them have been excellent. The children become so involved. Great job!" -Bonnie Branca, Kindergarten teacher Sun 'N Lake Elementary, Sebring, FL

Illustration by Carl Cowden III

BATTLEDRUM
A new musical about Civil War drummer boys
Book and Lyrics by Doug Cooney
Music by Lee Ahlin Commissioned by Eckerd Theater Company

On Tour March - May 2008
For grades 5 and up

"I wanted to fight the rebels," wrote a 12-year-old boy, "but the man behind the desk said I was too small to carry a musket. The next day I went back and the man asked if I could hold a drum. He said I could join if I could beat a drum. I did, but was not happy to change a musket for a stick."

More than two million boys of 17 or younger served on both sides of the American Civil War as infantry, buglers and drummer boys. The drum was an important means of communication for military orders in the field. Drummer boys often found themselves on the front lines of combat in the middle of smoke-filled battlefields. Battledrum tells the story of Rufus, a Confederate orphan adopted by a troop of Union soldiers, who eventually becomes their drummer boy. Based on a wealth of compelling stories of real-life children who fought the Civil War,

Battledrum explores a complex period in American history through the eyes of young people. A sweeping tale, indelibly etched through compelling characters, daring adventure, raucous comedy, stirring music and, of course, drums.

"Fifth graders are keenly aware of the contemporary world at war - and what stuns them about the American Civil War is the discovery that kids were actively engaged in battle. Their eyes widen and they gulp. You can tell they're thinking - 'it could happen.'" -Playwright Doug Cooney

BATTLEDRUM is made possible in part by funding from the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs through the Challenge Grant Program. Illustration by Carl Cowden III

VOTE?
By Eric Coble
Commissioned by Eckerd Theater Company

On Tour August — November 2008
Grades 6 and up

Election Day 2008. Eighteen-year-old Nicole Harrison registered to vote when she got her driver’s license but has no intention of casting a ballot today. Why bother? Too many things to do. As her friend argues about the need to voice an opinion, Nicole suddenly slips back through time, back into the midst of the Revolutionary War! Nicole battles to return to her own time while her compatriots battle for the very right she so casually dismisses. Tossed through time from one historical event to another, standing beside women, minorities and young people, all demanding and claiming their rights, Nicole participates in changing the face of democracy as we all learn just how many shoulders we’re standing on every time we step into a voting booth.

“Sets–exciting, realistic; costumes–timely and fabulous; student response– enthralled, complete silence during performance; acting–superb, excellent cast, most professional, my favorite company to work with!! Extra bravos for them all!”
– Lynn Wesson, Education Director, Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, Destin, FL

“I’ll try to change the world. I will persuade my parents and sisters to vote.”
– Azra Thurtic, grade 5, Lealman Elementary

Illustration by Carl Cowden III

INTERRUPTING VANESSA
By Colleen Neuman

On Tour December 2008 — February 2009
Grades 2-5

When 10-year-old Vanessa comes home from school each day, her mom seems too busy to listen to her stories. She tells Vanessa to do her homework and to clean up that “junk” in her room. Junk! Her beloved stuff is not junk! Vanessa retreats to her room to share knockknock jokes with her imaginary dad and create amazing inventions from the stuff she’s collected. But today is different. Today, Vanessa’s mom has invited Timmy Fibbins to visit. Timmy, who throws up every day at school! No one talks to Timmy Fibbins! The start of this unlikely friendship leads Vanessa to a decision that will change her world forever.

Interrupting Vanessa takes an imaginative look at how hard it is to make a friend and how hard it is to lose one. It allows us to laugh while confronting difficult issues like bullying and the loss of a parent and it reminds us that we are none of us alone..

THE GREAT ALPHABET ADVENTURE
By Julia Flood

On Tour March — May 2009
Grades pre-K—3

When a thunderstorm knocks the power out, Alex is bored. No video games? No TV?! An unlikely visit from his new neighbor, Zora, sparks an adventure through the alphabet in which Alex discovers the wacky and magical possibilities hidden within the world of books. Filled with audience participation, colorful and surprising characters, and all the suspense of a treasure hunt, The Great Alphabet Adventure engages everyone from the youngest pre-schooler to parents and grandparents as it explores the value of friendship and the joy of reading. A wonderfully entertaining event for the whole family!

“Smart script, great actors and a shiny robot – what more could a kid want? They loved it!” – Kimberly Wagner, Capitol Arts Center, Bowling Green, KY

“ . . . What a performance! The acting was superb and the interaction with the students was magical. The costumes were all great but the Robot was way, way cool!!!” – Dorothy Hershman, Berkeley Preparatory School, Tampa, FL

“This show is so interactive. It is a simple and effective way to present not only the letter sounds and recognition, but a fun message about the wonder of reading.”
– Rita Kent, Theatreworks of Jacksonville, Inc.

ECKERD THEATER COMPANY WORKSHOPS
Enhance the performance experience through Eckerd Theater Company workshops!

ETC artists are trained to work with educators to explore ways to bridge the world of theater with that of the classroom. Using the National Standards for Arts Education, each workshop targets a specific age group and topic to demonstrate how the performance experience can be used to enrich the learning process across the curriculum. ETC interactive workshops include printed educational support materials tailored specifically to intensify the performance experience.

Eckerd Theater Company on Tour is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts