Theatrical Gems Presents "Children of Eden"

Just in time for the Easter season, Theatrical Gems will present the biblically-themed musical Children of Eden for four performances March 22-24.This show follows sold out runs of Forever Plaid and Man of La Mancha.

With book by John Caird and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the man behind Wicked, Pippin,and Godspell, Children of Eden is based on the stories of Adam and Eve and Noah's Ark from the Book of Genesis. Children of Eden is a frank, heartfelt and often humorous examination of the age-old conflict between parents and children. Jacob Shoesmith-Fox, Artistic Director of Theatrical Gems, says of the show, "Children of Eden features glorious music and a story that everyone can connect to; the idea that the hardest part of being a parent is letting go of your children."

Performances of Children of Eden will be at 8 PM on Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23, with matinees at 2 PM on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24 at Evergreen Community Charter School (Rte. 390/191, Grace Avenue in Cresco).

The show will be directed by Theatrical Gems Production Manager Ryan Cook, who recently played Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, with Patrick Mertz as the Music Director, guest choreography by Stephen Casey (Forever Plaid) and Evergreen student Lorenzo Ballesteros as Assistant Director. Cook has a personal history with this show, having appeared in the first high school production ever produced, at Harry S. Truman High School in Levittown, PA, in 1998. "My high school drama teacher is retiring this year," Cook explains, "and this is a tribute to him and everything he has done to instill passion for the arts in kids."

The cast features Jason J. Zimmer as Adam/Noah, Brianna Storm as Eve/Mama Noah, Alex Pearlman as Father, Eric Noone as Cain/Japheth, Patrick Mertz as Abel/Ham, Benjamin Cohen as Seth/Shem, Sarah Fister as Aphra, Eileen Cohen as Aysha, Jill Palena as Yonah, and Lindsey Cook as the Snake. Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Single Tickets for Children of Eden are $20. Beginning February 10, reserve seats by emailing tickets@theatricalgems.org or calling Jacob Shoesmith-Fox at 570-595-7267. If leaving a message, please include your name and contact information. Please mention which performance you are interested in attending.

Theatrical Gems strives to educate audiences about the past, present, and future of theater. Through the entertaining and engaging presentation of popular classics, new works, and underappreciated relics, we hope to expand horizons and tastes with the goal of preserving these works of art for future generations of theatergoers. Theatrical Gems is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. For more information, visit: www.theatricalgems.org