Saint Francis University to present "Story Theatre" March 19-21

Based on stories from the Grimm Brother's collections as well as Aesop's Fables, "Story Theatre" was written by Paul Sills, one of the founders of the famous Chicago improvisational theatre Second City.

Loretto, PA (02/17/2020) — The Saint Francis University Department of Fine Arts will present "Story Theatre" at the John F. Kennedy Student Center Auditorium on campus March 19 - 21.

Performances of the family-friendly show will be at 7:30pm on March 19, 20, and 21 with a special 2 p.m. matinee on March 21. The show is free for Saint Francis University staff, students and faculty. General admission is $5 per ticket, and tickets will be available at the door.

Based on stories from the Grimm Brother's collections as well as Aesop's Fables, "Story Theatre" was written by Paul Sills, one of the founders of the famous Chicago improvisational theatre Second City. Sills was also the son of Viola Spolin, who wrote the very first book about improvisation theatre. Sills used his mother's techniques when originally developing "Story Theatre."

"We are using many of the theatre games Viola Spolin wrote about in her books as part of our rehearsal process," said F.J. Hartland, assistant professor of theatre at Saint Francis and director of the show. "This has been a new and unique experience for our theatre students, creating multiple characters from the ground up."

In 1970, "Story Theatre" ran on Broadway for over 200 performances and received a Tony nomination for Best Play. Paul Sand, an original cast member, won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play that year. Of the production, the "New York Post" wrote, "An evening of imaginative and unpretentious delight."

During the show, eight Saint Francis students will take on numerous roles in such stories as "The Robber Bridegroom," "The Bremen Town Musicians," and "Henny Penny."

The ensemble cast includes: Drew Crusciel, a sophomore english/pre-law major from Loretto; Jonathan Kirk, a junior english education major from Patton; freshman Rachel McCready, a nursing major from Martinsburg; Jill Myerly, a junior occupational therapy major from Westlake, OH; sophomore Kayla Rosas, a sophomore medical laboratory science major from Altoona; senior Adam Russell, a political science major from Brookeville, MD; Rosie Stock, a junior occupational therapy major from Pittsburgh; and freshman Ethan Wesner, a computer science/cyber security major from Altoona. Both McCready and Wesner are making their Saint Francis University stage debuts.

Liz Catalano, a junior social work major from Hollidaysburg, is the stage manager for the production, junior english major Jack Weidner is the assistant director, and Mary Kraus, a senior education major, will be providing incidental music for the show.