Festival Focuses On Young Audience

Thu., June 20, 1996

By Jim Kershner jimkershner@comcast.net

Here’s a ready-made solution for parents who have young children to entertain on this first weekend of the summer.

It’s the Northwest Regional Children’s Theatre Play Festival, sponsored by the Spokane Children’s Theatre.

About 300 children’s theater performers and producers from seven different organizations in Washington, California, Oregon and Idaho are registered for the festival.

They will be attending numerous workshops, but more importantly for the public, each group will also perform a play this weekend. All but one will be open to the public. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” presented by the Northwest Children’s Theatre from Portland on Sunday, is already sold out because it is in the tiny Firth Chew Studio Theatre.

Tickets for the rest of the performances are $3, available at the door 15 minutes before showtime.

Here are the shows:

“Tom Sawyer,” presented by the Spokane Children’s Theatre - Friday, 7 p.m., Spokane Civic Theatre’s Main Stage, 1020 N. Howard.

“Arti,” presented by Theater Arts for Children in the Spokane Valley - Saturday, 10 a.m. and noon, North Central High School, 1600 N. Howard.

“The Green Monster” and “Rapunzel,” puppet shows presented by the Evergreen Children’s Theatre from Bremerton - Saturday, 3 and 4:30 p.m., North Central High School.

“I Didn’t Know That,” presented by the Spotlight Studio of Theatre Arts from Oakhurst, Calif. - Saturday, 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Spokane Civic Theatre’s Main Stage.

“Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” presented by the Sandpoint Performing Arts Children and Humanities - Saturday, 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Spokane Civic Theatre’s Main Stage.

“The Story Tellin’ Man,” presented by First Presbyterian Church of Spokane - Sunday, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Spokane Civic Theatre’s Main Stage.

The festival organizers are Trudy Rogers and Lori Koppa. For information about the plays or the festival, call 891-6613.

, DataTimes

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