Melissa Ferlaak

Senior Marketing & PR Manager

Children's Theatre Company

2400 3rd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404

Office - 612.872.5110

Childrens Theatre Company Presents a Spirited Adaptation of Huck Finn

March 3 April 4, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS Based on Mark Twains classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Childrens Theatre Company (CTC) is proud to present Greg Banks adaptation of Huck Finn, March 3 April 4, 2015. Banks, whose CTC credits include Pinocchio, Robin Hood, Antigone, Romeo and Juliet and more, will direct, with music composed by Victor Zupanc, set by Joseph Stanley, costumes by Mary Anna Culligan and lighting design by Paul Whitaker. Huck Finn premiered at CTC in the 2006-2007 season and is part of the theatres ongoing commitment to reimagining classics for the stage.

Director Greg Banks explains, When you adapt classics, you are always looking for an opportunity to enter into the story anew, to tease out what it continues to say about society and about ourselves. Theater grants audiences a part to play in bringing the story to life. For me, thats what makes it so exhilarating.

In this inventive take on Twains classic story, acclaimed Twin Cities actor Ansa Akyea and CTC Company members Dean Holt and Reed Sigmund take on multiple roles, from Huck and Jim to a bullfrog, a steamboat, fog, and even the great Mississippi river itself. Huck Finn composer and CTC Music Director Victor Zupanc will play live on stage alongside accomplished multi-instrumentalist Joe Cruz playing a multitude of instruments throughout the show.

In creating this production, CTC and director Greg Banks confronted the controversy that the book has courted since its publication in 1885. Originally banned because of Hucks coarse language and crude behavior, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has more recently come under fire for its use of the n word. Carefully weighing the decision of whether to include the use of the derogatory word as it is used in the original text, the creative team ultimately decided that the word would prevent audiences from experiencing the extraordinary power of this story. The relevance of the story today is what attracted Ansa Akyea to this production: I am doing this story for my children, for them to see and understand the challenges of the world they are coming into. I am doing this piece because it captures Mark Twain's American literary genius in reflecting man's capacity for cruelty in the institution of slavery, man's ability to love beyond skin color, and the importance of family beyond definition, country, and freedom.

Huck Finn runs March 3 April 4, 2015 on the UnitedHealth Group Stage. As part of CTCs commitment to programming for ages two through eighteen, Huck Finn is recommended for grades 3+. Single tickets are on sale now. Groups of 10 or more save up to 25 percent. For more information, visit childrenstheatre.org or call the Ticket Office at 612.874.0400. The production is sponsored by US Bank; Piper Jaffray; Deluxe Corp Foundation; Knock, inc; and the Radio sponsor is Minnesota Public Radio.

Childrens Theatre Company (CTC) is the first theatre for young people to win the coveted Tony® Award for Outstanding Regional Theater (2003) and has welcomed more than 11 million people to performances and education programs over the last five decades. As one of the 20 largest theatre companies in the nation, CTC has created over 200 new works, dramatically changing the canon of work for young audiences.

CTC educational programs reach tens of thousands of young people of all ages, ranging from early learners to young adults. CTCs Theatre Arts Training (TAT) program is designed to mold the next generation of theatre professionals in a guided, dynamic, studio-style program that is tailored to the needs of each individual student.

Steeped in our nationally-recognized Neighborhood Bridges philosophy, the CTC Community Engagement team creates models that arts organizations, schools and educators utilize to animate teaching and learning and develop critical thinking through creative writing, storytelling and theatre arts. Our three core programs include Neighborhood Bridges (currently serving grades 2-8), Building Bridges (serving Kindergartners) and Early Bridges (serving ages 3- 5). Our programming exists to promote accessibility and to deepen engagement with teachers and students locally and nation-wide.