Mill Mountain Theatre presents: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, as part of their Young Audience Series, running Oct 21st-28th on the Waldron Stage. Irving’s story was adapted into a new play by MMT’s Resident Creative and Teaching Artist, Christopher Castanho, directed by Director of Education, Travis Kendrick, and features eight local middle to high school students.
It’s Halloween night and Will invites his friends up to the attic to tell spooky stories. When the group of children find a copy of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in an old trunk, they decide to act it out using only things found in the attic. This inventive and theatrical retelling of Washington Irving’s classic story is perfect Halloween fun for the whole family. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, published in 1820, tells the story of Ichabod Crane and his attempt to win the heart of his love, Katrina Van Tassel. This comical and ghostly tale follows Crane through the town of Sleepy Hollow, NY, where he is visited by a mysterious ghost, the Headless Horseman.
“In this production, we are using flashlights, shadow-play, and puppetry to tell Ichabod Crane’s story in a whole new way.” says Travis Kendrick, Director. “The cast has been so collaborative and brought so many creative ideas to the table – you haven’t seen a show like this at MMT before. You won’t want to miss it!”
This unique adaptation puts a new spin on the classic story, while retaining the integrity of a tale we all know and love. “I wanted to tell the original story with Ichabod and the Headless Horseman, but also have new characters created by these actors.” says Playwright, Christopher Castanho. “Having the opportunity to originate a role is such a unique experience, and it’s been great watching our actors rise to the occasion.” This specific script was written exclusively for MMT’s programming, as part of their initiative to sponsor new work within their educational environment.
Each child that attends a performance of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will receive a free book as a part of Mill Mountain Theatre’s mission of connecting reading and literacy.
Sponsors of the 2017 Young Audience Series of performances include American National Bank, Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital, chocolatepaper, Claytor/Wirt Associates, Davis H. Elliot Co., Friendship Foundation, The Kroger Co., Lanford Brothers Co., LeClairRyan, Roanoke Valley Orthodontics and Woods Rogers PLC.
The production features a company of eight actors: Colby Ervin, Caitlin Carter, Charles Meidlinger, James Moledor, Haley Chey Lynch, Victoria Riego De Dios, Sawyer Mullins, and Caroline Moledor. The production is stage managed by Henry Stevens, Costume Design by Layla Izabella, Set & Sound Design by Travis Kendrick, and Lighting Design by Adam Neely.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow opens on Saturday, October 21st, with performances at 2 PM and 7 PM on MMT’s Waldron Stage (20 Church Ave, SE). Other performances are slated for October 25th at 7 PM, October 27th at 7 PM, and October 28th at 2 PM and 7 PM. Admission is ‘pay-what-you-can’ at the door. No advance tickets will be sold for the listed performances above.
