Press release:
More than a thousand young students will visit the Genesee Community College campus between March 20-22 to see a performance of "The Boy Who Tricked the Moon" by the GCC Forum Players Children's Theatre. The cast and crew will then take the show on the road for another six performances in six counties between April 7 and May 11.
In "The Boy Who Tricked the Moon" the audience participates in helping an Orphan Boy rescue Clan Chief's son from the moon, which has spirited him away. It's a mystical adventure that includes characters Sky Grandmother and Little Sky Sister who help the two boys. The folktale, staged using masks and creative movement, shows how ingenuity and friendship can triumph over adversity.
GCC will welcome some 1,200 preschool through third-grade students from Batavia, Le Roy, Pavilion, Brockport and Geneseo to campus for daytime performances in the Stuart Steiner Theatre on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday March 20-22.
Following the performances on campus, GCC will take the show on the road for just the second time.
"In these days of limited budgets, many districts cannot afford to bus their children to campus for the show," said Maryanne Arena, director of Fine and Performing Arts at GCC. "We still want them to have the chance to experience a live theatre performance, so we're taking the show to them. We like getting out into the community to share the wonderful talent we have at GCC."
The show will be staged at elementary schools in Hilton, Barker and Medina. In addition, there are public performances scheduled as follows:
• Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m. -- Stuart Steiner Theatre, GCC Batavia
• Sunday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. -- The Stage, Warsaw
• Saturday, April 20, at 2 p.m. -- Theatre 101, Mt. Morris
• Saturday, May 11, TBD -- Springville Center for the Arts
Tickets are $8 or less, and FREE for ages 12 and under. To purchase tickets or for more information call the GCC box office at 345-6814 or by e-mail boxoffice@genesee.edu.
The cast of "The Boy Who Tricked the Moon" includes: Brianna Jones, of Batavia, and Kayli Wilson, of Canastota, sharing the role of Orphan Boy; Aidan Bonacci, of Rochester, and Christian Hoffman, of Hilton, as Clan Chief's Son; Bill Rupp, of Alexander, and Alayna Zimbrich, of Hilton, as Shaman; Jordan Griffiths, of Milford, and Rebecca Truesdell, of Batavia, as Moon; Kathleen Kwasniewski, of Alexander, and Amber Lively, of Barker, as Little Sky Sister; Courtney Amesbury, of Bergen, as Sky Grandmother; Sania Hyatt, of NYC, as Boy #1 and a Thunderbird; Lynnsee McGill, of Rochester, as Boy #2; and Kaori Shinchi, of Japan, as a Thunderbird. Several cast members also play additional roles as Trees, Frogs and Arrows.
Crew members include stage manager Jessica Yost, of Medina. Cameron Pollard, of Mt. Vernon, will handle sound. Lighting is by Eric Moultrie, of Dobbs Ferry, and Kaleb Miller, of Le Roy. And Ali Scharvella, of Copake Lake, will operate projections.
