Tag Archives: Mark Shanahan

A CHRISTMAS STORY opens tonight at Arkansas Rep.

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All Ralphie Parker wants for Christmas is an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time. All his parents can say in response? “You’ll shoot your eye out!”

Based upon the memoirs of Jean Shepherd, the 1983 film A Christmas Story has become a modern holiday classic. This winter, relive your favorite moments from the movie as they come to life onstage at Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  The play was adapted by Philip Grecian.  The play opens tonight and runs through December 25.

Enjoy Ralphie’s hilarious misadventures as his family struggles to enjoy an All-American Christmas on the brink of World War II. Armed with an overactive imagination and the wide-eyed optimism of childhood, he creates fantastic schemes to guarantee that he will find a BB gun under the tree, which backfire with hysterical results.

Bullies, his salty Old Man, even a store Santa, all conspire to prevent Ralphie from attaining his heart’s desire in this bittersweet, quirky slice of life from a more innocent time. In the end, nothing can defeat the spirit of Christmas when you are surrounded by a family who loves you, warts and all.

“We’ve got a wonderful present to wrap up and put under the tree this year at The Rep,” said Director Mark Shanahan. “Audiences will be delighted as this classic Christmas tale comes to life in a uniquely theatrical way. A Christmas Story transports us to the bygone era of the 1940s and the recollections of a family Christmas like no other. Full of wit, imagination and heartfelt nostalgia, A Christmas Story is a holiday gift you’ll remember all year-round.”

The Rep triple-dog dares you to keep a straight face at A Christmas Story. This raucous, heartwarming yuletide favorite will have the whole family rolling in the aisles. It is not for the fra-gee-lay of heart!

The show will go on! Ark Rep production of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER opens tonight

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 Despite the snow which caused many cancellations this morning, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre production of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER opens tonight.  Think you know all there is to know about Peter Pan? Think again.

This Tony winning play by Rick Elice is based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.  In this swashbuckling prelude to J. M. Barrie’s fantasy classic, the secret history of the Boy Who Would Never Grow Up is revealed with theatrical panache.

Based on the popular Dave Barry books, and mixing British pantomime with playful elements of childhood make-believe, this raucous adventure journeys into the forgotten realms of the imagination filled with mermaids, fierce natives, pirates and magic. 

Embark upon a treacherous ocean voyage as Molly, a young Starcatcher aboard the good ship Neverland, races to escape the comical clutches of the dread pirate Black Stache. Accompanied by a trio of Lost Boys from a British orphanage, she is soon marooned on a not-so-deserted island filled with otherworldly enchantments and exhilarating danger around every turn. Each breathtaking adventure leads them closer to the mysterious origins of the Peter Pan you know and love.

Peter and the Starcatcher will be presented as a co-production with TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, Ark. The Rep presents the regional premiere of this award-winning play as a perfect outing for young and old alike. It opens tonight and runs through Februry 14. 

The cast includes Seth Andrew Bridges, Marc Carver, Patrick Halley, Carey Hite, Garrett T. Houston, Bryce Kemph, Hugh Kennedy, Steve Pacek, Faith Sandberg, Jason M. Shipman, Nathaniel Stahlke and Bruce Warren.  Moriah Patterson and Garrett L. Whitehead are understudies. 

The production is directed by Mark Shanahan.  Other members of the creative team are Music Director: Mark Binns; Fight Director: D.C. Wright; Set Designer: James J. Fenton; Properties Designer: Brodie Jasch; Lighting Designer: Martin E. Vreeland; Costume Designer: Trish Clark; and Sound Engineer: Allan Branson.