WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Imaginary Theatre Company (ITC), the educational arm of the St. Louis Repertory Theatre, will bring its production of “Goodbye, Marianne” to the West Plains Civic Center stage for a 7 p.m. performance Jan. 22, 2016.
Presented by Missouri State University-West Plains’ University/Community Programs (U/CP) Department, the performance is being made possible with support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Tickets are $8 each for adults. Children age 13 and under, and Missouri State-West Plains students with a valid BearPass ID, will be admitted free. Tickets may be purchased at the civic center box office, 110 St. Louis St., or by calling 417-256-8087.
The play, written by Irene Kirstein Watts, focuses on themes of world history, diversity and acceptance, organizers said. It tells the story of Marianne Kohn, who arrives at school in Berlin in 1938 and discovers that Jewish students are no longer permitted. Soon, friends and loved ones are disappearing, neighborhood shops are being burned, and Marianne’s father must flee the Gestapo. Based on Watts’ own childhood experiences in Nazi Germany, this children’s play is a stirring account of love and loss, and one girl’s courage in the face of a changing world.
“This play is geared toward children, particularly those between fourth and seventh grades, but we think it will resonate with a lot of adults, too,” said Jennifer Moore, coordinator of theater and events for U/CP. “This is a creative, memorable way to teach the difficult history lessons of the World War II Holocaust to children.”
ITC is the resident, professional, touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Through the use of literature, folk tales, fairy tales and new adaptations of classic works, ITC is committed to providing the very finest in theatre for young audiences and strives to bring quality performances to schools and community venues throughout Missouri and Illinois.
For additional information about “Goodbye, Marianne,” visit http://www.repstl.org/season/show/goodbye_marianne/.
For more information about this and other U/CP events, call 417-255-7966 or visit www.wp.missouristate.edu/ucp/.