By Emma Schenkenberger
As a holiday tradition at Colorado State University, the Theatre Program performs a show fit for the whole family. Starting in 2012 with A Christmas Story, 2013 saw the lives of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women brought to life. This year, the tradition continues with Willie and Robert Reale’s A Year With Frog and Toad. The program brings classically loved childhood characters to life on the stage with a delightful musical show where everyone involved has worked tirelessly to bring holiday cheer to all ages. With a wacky group of birds, moles, a snail and other fun creatures, the show is going to keep children on the edge of their seats, while the splash of Buster Keaton- esque comedy that director Walt Jones has thrown in will delight audience members of every age.
This year’s holiday production is reaching beyond the audiences that get to experience the heartwarming stories of friendship and loyalty told on stage. The cast and crew of Frog and Toad won’t be done quite yet when their soft green curtain closes on Sunday for its final time. From a suggestion by senior theatre major Devin Anders, the bright, soft light green curtain that is as much a part of the show as the animals, will be transformed after Frog and Toad closes. In true holiday spirit, the team will be turning the iconic green curtain into soft, warm blankets for children in Fort Collins with the help of CSU students. The curtain is 50 yards of fun fuzzy fabric that gives the show a very child-like whimsical touch, and will now have a lasting impact on families after it’s time on stage.
Half of the blankets made out of the curtain will be donated to Adoption Dreams Come True and half to Realities for Children just in time for the holidays. Adoption Dreams Come True is a local adoption agency that offers state wide domestic adoption services for children of all ages. They also have a very special service called The Dream Room. The Dream Room is a clothing and diaper resource for low-income families in Larimer County with children as old as two. Families are able to come once a month and get outfits and diapers and accessories for their infants if they are struggling to provide for them. The blankets donated from Frog and Toad will go to help these families.
Realities for Children provides emergency funding to children in Larimer County who have been abused, neglected or are at-risk. Funding is available for children’s needs when no other resources are available, creating a safety net so children who are less fortunate are provided for. On top of their direct help, Realities for Children is a resource for many other nonprofits in northern Colorado when dealing with children in need.
This classic story of friendship, selflessness, and lending a helping hand is being taken a step further this holiday at CSU and will leave a lasting impact on families in Fort Collins long after this shows final curtain. To get involved in transforming the curtain into blankets, please look for flyers around the University Center for the Arts or email Devin who is in charge of the project at anders11@rams.colostate.edu.
A Year with Frog & Toad by Willie and Robert Reale
Directed by Walt Jones
Nightly: December 11, 12, 13, 14, 7:30 p.m.
Matinees: December 13, 14, 2 p.m.
Tickets are $8 for CSU students, $8 for youth (under 18), and $18 for the public. Please note that the University Center for the Arts (UCA) ticket office hours have changed. Tickets are available at the ticket office in the UCA lobby 90 minutes prior to any UCA performance and through intermission or online at www.CSUArtsTickets.com. Information about upcoming performances can be found at (970) 491-ARTS (2787). Advance or online purchase is recommended to avoid at-the-door fees.
About Walt Jones:
Walt Jones, who joined the CSU Theatre program in 2006, is a 1975 graduate of the Yale School of Drama. As a teacher of acting and directing, he has served on the faculty at Yale School of Drama, and University of California, San Diego. He has directed twice on Broadway, six plays off-Broadway, including the American premiere of Howard Barker’s No End of Blame at Manhattan Theatre Club, and over sixty plays in more than twenty regional theatres from Cambridge to Fairbanks and productions in Soviet Russia and in Tokyo. Among the many actors Walt has directed are Meryl Streep, Roc Dutton, John Turturro, Tony Shaloub, Nathan Lane, Liev Schreiber, Angie Bassett, Christopher Walken, Jason Alexander, Michael Gross, Lindsey Crouse, Linda Hunt, Sigourney Weaver, Peter MacNicol, Frances Conroy, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Lewis Black, and many others. Read more.
The University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University provides an enriched venue in which the study and practice of Art, Dance, Music, and Theatre are nurtured and sustained by building the skills and knowledge needed by future generations of arts professionals to become contributors to the essential vitality of our culture and society.
For more information, visit UCA.Colostate.edu.