RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIF.: MainStreet Theatre Company has announced its 2017-18 season, which will bring two beloved children’s stories to the stage and also feature a special Black History Month play.
Roald Dahl’s The Witches (Oct. 9-29), adapted by David Wood, will open in time for Halloween. Dahl’s quirky, scary tale about a young boy who is turned into a mouse when he stumbles upon a witches’ convention at an English seaside hotel is for children ages 6 and older.
For Black History Month, MainStreet Theatre will present Oh Freedom! The Story of the Underground Railroad (Jan. 26-Feb. 11), a play with music by Peter Manos. Unlike other MainStreet productions, the show is not based off a children’s book. Inspired by historic events, the play includes well-known figures, such as Harriet Tubman, and the various stories are weaved together with songs and spirituals from the period.
Frederick (April 30-May 20), a musical adaptation of the Caldecott Medal-winning book by Leo Lionni, will close the season. Ostensibly about a group of mice getting ready for winter, Frederick is also a reminder that artists play an important role in society. This show features country and folk music from Sarah Durree and Paul Jacobs, with book by Suzanne Maynard Miller.
Founded in 2006, MainStreet Theatre Company is the professional theatre for the young audiences company in residence at the Lewis Family Playhouse, a 560-seat theatre owned and operated by the city of Rancho Cucamonga.
