Westport Country Playhouse’s Family Festivities Series will present Queen Nur’s “Sweet Potato Pie and Such,” a tasty treat of stories, songs and dance celebrating African-American heritage accompanied by African percussion instruments, on Sunday, July 19, 1 and 4 p.m. Recommended for ages 3 and up, the show is produced by Theatrework USA. The pre-show activity, beginning one hour prior to each performance, at noon and 3 p.m., will offer an introduction to African dance.
Incomparable storyteller Karen Nur El-Amin will present a highly energetic and interactive performance that will delight as well as enlighten all ages. The tales celebrate storytelling’s ability to speak of values, history and truth through the lives of fictional characters and real persons. This robust mix includes “Ruth Oree’s Sweet Potato Pie,” an affectionate parody of “Little Red Riding Hood” with a contemporary urban setting complete with rap.
Theatreworks USA is America's largest and most prolific professional, not-for-profit theatre for young and family audiences. Since 1961, Theatreworks USA has enlightened, entertained and instructed over 78 million people in 49 states and Canada.
All tickets are $15. Birthday party facilities may be scheduled in advance.
The next Family Festivity will be “Henry and Mudge,” a musical about a boy and his dog based on the best-selling series of books by Cynthia Rylant, presented by TheatreWorksUSA, on Sunday, November 15.
Playhouse Information
Westport Country Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater, serves as a treasured home for the performing arts and is a cultural landmark for Connecticut. Under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos and management direction of Michael Ross, the Playhouse creates quality productions of new and classic plays that enlighten, enrich and engage a diverse community of theater lovers, artists and students. The Playhouse’s rich history dates back to 1931, when New York theatre producer Lawrence Langner created a Broadway-quality stage within an 1830s tannery. The Playhouse quickly became an established stop on the New England “straw hat circuit” of summer stock theatres. Now celebrating its 79th season, Westport Country Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 36 of which later transferred to Broadway, most recently the world premiere of "Thurgood" and a revival of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" with Paul Newman, and in earlier years "Come Back, Little Sheba" with Shirley Booth, "The Trip to Bountiful" with Lillian Gish, and "Butterflies Are Free" with Keir Dullea and Blythe Danner. For its artistic excellence, the Playhouse received a 2005 Governor's Arts Award and a 2000 "Connecticut Treasure" recognition. It was also designated as an Official Project of Save America's Treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is entered on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places. Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse transformed into a year-round, state-of-the-art producing theater, which has preserved its original charm and character. In addition to a full season of theatrical productions, the Playhouse serves as a community resource, presenting educational programming and workshops; a children's theater series; symposiums; music; films; and readings.
Tickets to Westport Country Playhouse’s Family Festivities are $15 per ticket. Everyone in the audience requires a ticket. Groups of 10 or more save up to 30% off the regular ticket price. For group sales information call (203) 227-5137, x120.
For more information or to receive a Family Festivities brochure, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit the box office at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport, or www.westportplayhouse.org.
