AU theatre to wrap up season with “The Little Prince” on April 7-10
ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University’s department of theatre concludes its 2021-22 season, during which it has explored a theme of finding one’s place in the world, by presenting “The Little Prince” Thursday through Sunday, April 7-10. All performances will take place in the Studio Theatre inside the Center of the Arts (401 College Ave.), with nightly shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. as well as 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
“The Little Prince,” with script by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar, is adapted from the cherished children’s book of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This production will be directed by Jeff Haffner, guest director and adjunct instructor at AU.
A family-friendly beloved and timeless classic, “The Little Prince” tells the story of a world-weary aviator, played by Bethany Double, who is stranded in the desert where she meets a regal young boy, played by Tiffany Sims, who asks him to draw a sheep. The mysterious little prince shares his journeys and ultimately a sincere friendship with the aviator as they both find their place in the world. By learning what is essential is invisible to the eye, the aviator comes to a new understanding of grief, laughter and love.
“’The Little Prince’ is centered on human longing for sincere friendship, and also makes it truly clear how precious those relationships are,” remarked Hafner. “We are all longing to establish meaningful bonds to others, and right now, those bonds have never been harder to find, to start, to nurture and to maintain.”
Also included in the cast are Leanna Uselton as The Rose and The Geographer, Kylie Wellert as The Snake and The King, Emily Troyer as The Fox and The Lamplighter, Sean Repuyan as The Conceited Man and The Desert Flower and Tobin Grendzynski as The Business Man.
The production staff is composed of lighting/scenic designer Seth Morrison ‘18 and costume designer Justin Bilewic ‘09. The student crew includes stage manager Mattie Vermilya, assistant stage manager Haley Foss, light board operator Katie Snell, sound board operator Tia Shanklin and costume crew Lauren Vladyka and Lila Wolfe.
Tickets can be purchased from the AU campus store in person or by going to ashland.universitytickets.com. Tickets are $2 for AU students, $5 for non-AU students and $10 for adults, faculty/staff and senior citizens. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door.
Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.