Special Presentations For School Students During Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s 30th Anniversary Season

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble is proud to continue its tradition of offering special matinees for area students in this, its 30th season.

BTE begins its season with You Can’t Take It With You by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. Nine matinees are scheduled: October 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29, 31, and November 2. All of the Monday and Wednesday performances begin at 10:00 a.m. and the Friday performances begin at 10:30 a.m.

You Can’t Take It With You is a Pulitzer Prize winning comedic play in three acts and was the basis for the 1938 Academy Award winning film directed by Frank Capra. You Can’t Take It With You ranks as one of the best American comedies of the 20th century. With patented Kaufman wit and the gentle Hart touch, the play stands the test of time. What it has to say about life, about the necessity for us to make every moment of every day count, to love ourselves, each other, and our lives, is as pertinent today as in 1936.

Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble is pleased to offer You Can’t Take It With You as the Project Discovery production for this season. Now in its fifteenth year, Project Discovery is a unique partnership between BTE, high schools in Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties, and local businesses and corporations resulting in a bold initiative combining live theatre with dramatic literature into a unique educational experience. All high school sophomores, juniors and seniors may attend matinees of You Can’t Take It With You at no cost. Schools outside the five-county area may attend at regular matinee prices. Study guides for use in the classroom are available to schools prior to their theatre visit. A post-performance chat between cast and students rounds out the theatre experience. Play scripts are available to schools upon request.

Beginning in November BTE performs Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of redemption and renewal, A Christmas Carol. From the first ghostly rattle of Jacob Marley’s chains, the fun and frivolity of the Fezziwig’s party, to the ominous predictions of the Ghost of Christmas Future, students travel through time along with Ebenezer Scrooge as he is confronted by the boy he was, the man he has become and the fate that awaits him if he fails to change. Appropriate for all ages, BTE has twelve matinees scheduled: November 27, 28, 29, December 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, and 20 all at 10:00 a.m. Attending BTE for a holiday matinee is a tradition for many schools. Matinees fill quickly; schools are encouraged to call now.

Ticket prices are $7.50 for all audience members for both productions. All matinees are held at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, in downtown Bloomsburg.

For more information about all of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s programs for students, contact Paula Henry, BTE’s School Programs Director at (570) 458-4075 or e-mail her at phenry@bte.org.

The 2007-2008 season celebrates the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s 30th year of exciting professional theatre to Pennsylvania’s Northeast and beyond. To find out more about BTE, its educational programs and the current season, please visit the website at www.bte.org or call the administrative offices at (570) 784-5530.