Kids’ stuff? Absolutely. But there’s something here for adults as well. Hans Christian Andersen is a classic; his fun, colloquial style often disguises sophisticated moral teachings. Hans Upon a Time: The Emperor’s New Clothes & Other Stories by Hans Christian Andersen will be on the stage at the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s Alvina Krause Theatre in Downtown Bloomsburg. BTE’s annual summer family show will run from July 13th to July 30th.

The show contains some of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories including The Nightingale, The Ugly Duckling, The Tinder Box, The Little Match Girl, and The Emperor’s New Clothes.

Ensemble member James Goode has adapted the show and directs the cast, which is a combination of Ensemble, Bloomsburg University theatre students and community actors. Ensemble member Daniel Roth plays The Emperor in two of the tales. Other Ensemble members involved include Andrew Hubatsek as a visitor in The Nightingale, Elizabeth Dowd as the storyteller in The Ugly Duckling, and Cassandra Pisieczko as a lady-in-waiting in The Tinder Box and a narrator in The Little Match Girl. Bloomsburg University provides four of its talented students to the production: Dan Acor, Abigail Lottie, Michelle Kelchner, and Mark Shollenberger. LuAn Keller is a community member performing as a narrator in The Little Match Girl. The cast is rounded out by dozens of community children.

Season set designer Ellen Lenbergs lends her talents to BTE one last time before she leaves to attend graduate school at UCLA. Jamie Kurtz is the lighting designer assisted by Zak Knoll. The costumes are designed by Bloomsburg University professor Karen Anselm who is assisted by Mark Shollenberg and Bloomsburg University Costume Shop Manager Sarah Stuble. Bloomsburg University assistant professor Ethan Krupp provides the props. MaryAgnes Brown is the Production Stage Manager.

Hans Upon a Time is a co-production with the Bloomsburg Players and is sponsored by the Bloomsburg University Community Government Association. BTE’s season sponsors include the Press Enterprise, the Pine Barn Inn and WNEP-TV.

Hans Christian Andersen was born in the small Danish town of Odense in 1805. Andersen’s father was a poor shoemaker, and his family could not afford to send him to school regularly. This substandard education resulted in his inadequate foundation in writing and grammar which stood in the way of his later attempts to break into the Danish literary world. But he was bright and precocious, and lucky enough at several crucial times in his development to be mentored by important, well-placed scholars. He loved the theatre. Children loved to hear his stories, and when Andersen published his first collection it was a resounding success. Throughout his life he wrote numerous novels, articles, travelogues, poems, and plays. In all, he published 156 stories which are the basis of his continuing worldwide fame.

See the show before anyone else! There will be a sneak preview July 12th at 7:00pm with all tickets being priced at only $5.00.

The Monday, July 30 performance at 1:00pm will be interpreted for deaf and hearing impaired patrons. Interested patrons should call the Box Office for specific seating arrangements. To reach the Box Office, patrons may call the TTY operator: 1-800-654-5984 (TT only); 1-800-654-5988 (Voice only).

Hans Upon a Time: The Emperor’s New Clothes and Other Stories by Hans Christian Andersen will be performed at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street from July 13th to July 30th with performances Tuesdays through Fridays at 1:00pm, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:00pm and Sundays at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $12.50 for adults, and only $6.50 for children 12 and under and are available online at www.bte.org or by calling the BTE Box Office Tuesday through Friday 10:00am – 5:00pm. Local audiences may call 784-8181 and the toll free number is 1-800-282-0283.

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble is a non-profit, professional theatre located in the heart of Downtown Bloomsburg. Founded in 1978, BTE is enjoying its 29th Season of bringing quality entertainment to Northeastern Pennsylvania. For more information on BTE, please visit the BTE website at www.bte.org.