On a rainy day in London, four children step through a magical wardrobe and discover an enchanted kingdom filled with fantasy, mystical characters and suspense. Narnia, the land beyond the wardrobe door, is a secret place frozen in eternal winter waiting to be set free.
This tale, full of sibling rivalry, temptation, evil and adventure is being brought to the stage by Prime Stage Theatre and director Wayne Brinda, who is also the theatre’s cofounder and producing artistic director.
“As the director, I’m excited to bring The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to life and engage audiences of all ages as we stimulate their imaginations and make this a wonderful experience at the theatre,” said Brinda, who has a passion to connect live theater with literature to teach reading and advance literacy.
Dr. David von Schlichten, D.Min., Ph.D., M.F.A., dean of the School of Humanities, associate professor of religious studies, and the coordinator of the Gender and Women’s Studies Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, will be leading the post-show audience discussion on opening night, March 4. Dr. Schlichten has over 200 publishing credits in various genres, including articles on C.S. Lewis for the journal Lectionary Homiletics.
The show was also put together with the help of James Como, an international scholar and author of C.S. Lewis, who met virtually with the staff, cast and designers to share insights on why certain characters were created in the story.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe will run from March 3-12 at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. A sensory-inclusive performance will be held on Sat., March 11 at 2:30 and an audio-described and ASL signed performance will be held on Sun., March 12 at 2:30 p.m.
All performances will be held at the New Hazlett Theatre. For tickets, visit https://primestage.com.