News Release

Photo: http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/releases/LittlePrincePlayMakersposterart.jpg

Note: See end of story for a photo and media opportunity at noon Nov. 21.

PlayMakers offers magical holiday treat ‘The Little Prince’

CHAPEL HILL – When a disenchanted aviator crashes his plane in the Sahara, he is surprised to meet an ethereal visitor from a faraway star. Through the startling insights shared by this charming “Little Prince,” the aviator is reminded of what is truly important in life.

Cherished by adults and children alike, Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s classic novella “The Little Prince” is filled with all of the magic, exuberance and wonder of childhood.

PlayMakers Repertory Company, the professional theatre in residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will perform the stage version of “The Little Prince” from Nov. 28 through Dec. 16.

Shows will be at 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays and 2 p.m. on Dec. 8 in the Paul Green Theatre, inside UNC’s Center for Dramatic Art on Country Club Road. The play is suitable for ages 5 and older.

Special events will include a free talk by director Tom Quaintance at noon Nov. 21 in the theater; free post-show discussions on Dec. 5 and 9; and an all-access performance for those with special needs on Dec. 11.

Tuesday Community Night performances on Dec. 4 and 11 will include holiday music before and after the play by The Trekky Yuletide Orchestra, beginning at 6 p.m. The orchestra comprises members of bands on the Trekky Records label, a collective based in Chapel Hill. Tickets to the play on those evenings are $10. Seating is general admission.

Tickets to other performances range from $10 to $40 and may be purchased by phone at (919) 962-PLAY, online at www.playmakersrep.org or at the Paul Green Theatre Box Office, open from noon to 6 p.m. weekdays and two hours before each performance.

Quaintance, a theater veteran based in Los Angeles, directed the sold-out production of “Oliver!” last July that capped the first local Summer Youth Conservatory, a partnership between PlayMakers and The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. He also has directed “The Little Prince” for Theatre M at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“‘The Little Prince’” is a fantastic journey through the stars for children,” Quaintance said. “It is a map for adults to rediscover their childhood. In the Prince’s travels, we see the isolated and disconnected nature of the adult world. It’s a study of the mindset that only cares for numbers and statistics and misses what is of real consequence.”

Theater composer and author Rick Cummins (music) and playwright John Scoullar (scripts, lyrics) adapted the book by Saint Exupéry for the stage in 2000. The book, published in 1943, has been translated into more than 160 languages and sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.

One character, the Fox, utters one of the book’s key phrases, capturing the essence of Saint-Exupéry’s work: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Quaintance said that the story is rich in philosophy and poetic metaphors. “Onstage we will create the world of the play using our bodies, imagination and an unshakable belief in heartfelt, visceral theatricality,” he said.

UNC adjunct assistant professor of dramatic art Kenneth P. Strong will portray the Aviator, his first featured appearance since his role as Jeremiah Mears in “God’s Man in Texas” in 2006. A company member since 1990, Strong has appeared in more than 50 PlayMakers productions. He performed on Broadway in “Inherit the Wind” with George C. Scott and Charles Durning. The cast will also include:

David Friedlander (King/Merchant), who portrayed Jake in “Stones in His Pockets” with PlayMakers last season. He also appeared with the company in “Romeo and Juliet” in September and previously in “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Frozen.”

Jason Powers (Lamplighter/Fox) most recently appeared in the ensemble of “Romeo and Juliet” at PlayMakers. Before moving to North Carolina, he spent seven years in Chicago where he performed in nearly 20 productions, including “Much Ado About Nothing,”“Catch-22,” “Flood” and “Twelfth Night.”

Lesley Shires (Little Prince), who portrays Babe in PlayMakers’ “Crimes of the Heart,” which closes Sunday (Nov. 11). She has performed in regional productions of “Chicago” and “Cats.” In New York, she worked as a print model and actor for Mattel, Fuse, Cosmopolitan and Canon and acted in productions of “Barefoot in the Park,” “How I Learned to Drive,” “The Rivals” and other shows.

Heaven Stephens (Rose) appeared in this season’s “Romeo and Juliet” and last season in PlayMakers’ “The Bluest Eye.” and “Cyrano de Bergerac.”

The production team will be McKay Coble, professor and chair of UNC’s dramatic art department, Justin Townsend (lighting) and Michèl Marrano (sound). In designing sets and costumes for the play, Coble ventured beyond the usual children’s theater approach.

“The Rose, Snake and Fox are not dressed up in a rose hat or a blackened nose with whiskers,” she said. “The Rose is a child to me – one who is trying to figure out how to get what she wants and not really knowing what that is; the Snake is the essence of amazing power contained in a simple thing; the Fox is your quirky college roommate from whom you learned all the really useful stuff but didn’t realize it until after you graduated.”

Based in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences, PlayMakers is the Carolinas’ oldest resident professional theatre company. The Drama League recently named PlayMakers one of the “best regional theatre companies in America.” For more information on the 2007-2008 main-stage and PRC² second-stage seasons, visit  www.playmakersrep.org.

Coverage note: Media are welcome to cover the set and production preview with director Tom Quaintance at noon Nov. 21 in the Paul Green Theatre. Photography, videography, lights and flashes are not restricted. Call (919) 428-1744 for directions and additional assistance.

PlayMakers contact: Connie Mahan, (919) 428-1744, cmahan@email.unc.edu