The Oak Ridge Playhouse in Jackson Square is pictured above on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
“Gingerbread: A Hansel and Gretel Story” will be performed in early February by the Oak Ridge Junior Playhouse Youth Theatre for Young Audiences.
The performance of the season-closer will be at the Oak Ridge Playhouse in Jackson Square on February 4 and 5.
“The Oak Ridge Junior Playhouse has cooked up a tantalizing morsel for young audiences to gobble up!” a press release said. “The candied scent of molasses and cinnamon, paired with the warm smell of ginger and clove can only mean one thing—gingerbread! However, this sweet and spicy temptation is anything but nice.”
It’s based on folklore by the Brothers Grimm, with a new adaptation by Playhouse Director Reggie Law.
“This is the whimsical tale of two very hungry siblings named, you guessed it, Hansel and Gretel,” the press release said. “With empty bellies, they spend their days dreaming of food while making brooms for their humble Father. After an unfortunate mishap, they’re sent into the forest by their selfish Stepmother. Lost and alone, Hansel and Gretel stumble upon a dreamy confection that looks good enough to eat, a mouth-watering house made entirely of gingerbread! But with a Gobbling Witch on the loose, who is munching and crunching on little children, dare they take a nibble? Lucky for them, only sweet Grandma Becker lives within the sugary walls. Enticed by the kind woman’s delicious treats, the children soon discover the age-old lesson that looks can be deceiving.”
The cast and crew of every Junior Playhouse production is made up entirely of very talented and hardworking young students, the press release said. The cast includes Owen Harris (Hansel), Maria Soledad Beehan (Gretel), Hayden Toon (Father), Grace Durham (Stepmother), Cailyn Lawson (Grandma Becker), Addy Preston (Mrs. Mueller), and Lexi England (Mrs. Kruger), with help from Stage Manager Halie Campbell, Assistant Stage Manager Delaney Rickman, Sound Designer Kennedy Releford, and Props by Luke Gentry.
The production crew is overseen by Technical Director Camden Simon, whose lighting design captures the mood of the forest perfectly, the press release said. With a classic, fairy tale setting, audiences will recognize the enchanting storybook elements that set designer Michaela Lochen illustrates onstage. Costume designer Tory Depew uses layers of saturated earthtones to provide a nostalgic beauty to the characters’ clothing.
“The combination of these visual elements, with Reggie Law’s direction, is a captivating sight to behold,” the press release said.
Individual tickets are available online at www.orplayhouse.com beginning Monday, January 23, or by calling the Box Office at 865-482-4877 from Tuesday to Friday from 12-5 p.m.
This production is made possible through additional support from the Tennessee Arts Commission and is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP5534 awarded to the State of Tennessee by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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