EUGENE–The Mad Duckling Summer Theatre will present two interactive children’s plays this summer on the lawn south of the University of Oregon’s Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall,
1109 Old Campus Lane near East 11th and Kincaid.

The musical "Androcles and the Lion" will open July 6 and will continue on July 7—10 and
July 13—17. The second show, "Kipling Tails," will open July 27 and will continue on July 28—31 and Aug. 3—7.

All performances will begin at 11 a.m. General-admission seating on the lawn will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

"Both plays are adaptations of classic children’s tales which use animal characters to deliver positive morals in a fun way, accessible to children," says Don LaPlant, a doctoral degree student in the university’s theater arts department and director of "Androcles and the Lion." "We’re lucky to have a cast of six multitalented women who can make these stories come alive with fast-paced, physically inventive performances."

"Androcles and the Lion," a musical comedy adapted from Aesop’s fable by renowned children’s playwright Aurand Harris, tells the story of Androcles, a poor, overworked Roman slave who encounters the injured Lion in the forest. With help from the audience, Androcles and the Lion overcome their initial prejudices, help each other and learn the value of friendship and cooperation.

"Kipling Tails" brings alive three of Rudyard Kipling’s beloved Just So stories, "The Elephant's Child," "The Sing Song of Old Man Kangaroo" and "The Beginning of the Armadillos." Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian, also a doctoral degree student in theater arts, will adapt and direct these classic tales which reveal how the elephant got her long trunk, how the kangaroo got her long legs, and how the hedgehog and the tortoise worked together to escape from the hungry young jaguar.

The artistic staff for both shows is comprised of five theater arts graduate students including directors LaPlant from Ithaca, N.Y., and Stoytcheva-Horissian from Sofia, Bulgaria; designers Chris Wooten from Columbia, Mo., and Ashlynn Billingsley from College Park, Md.; and fight choreographer Jonathan Cole from Thompson Falls, Mont.

Jackie Jacobus, a junior theater arts major from Davis, Calif., serves as production stage manager for the company.

The acting ensemble features Kirsten Schmieding, a junior Spanish and psychology major from Canby; freshman Kathryn Reese and sophomore Kate Hardin, both theater arts majors from Eugene; Darlene Dadras, a sophomore theater arts and Romance languages major from Woodbridge, Va.; Tasha Cyr, a junior theater arts major from Montreal, Quebec, Canada; and Electra Photiadou, a senior music major from Cyprus, Greece.

Tickets for all seats at all performances are $3 and may be purchased at the theater on performance days. To purchase tickets in advance, call the Mad Duckling Box Office at (541) 346-4192 or the EMU Ticket Office at 346-4363.

Mad Duckling Summer Theatre is made possible through the support of the UO Summer Session Office.

For more information about Mad Duckling Summer Theatre, browse http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~theatre or call GuardLine 24 hours-a-day from a Touch-Tone phone, 485-2000, and select Ext. 2287.

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