ROCKET SCIENCE Premieres on Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE, Now thru 1/20

Start the New Year off with a song! And why not make
it a brand new song, in a brand new musical, written especially for -and acted by - teens! For the first time ever, Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE program will premiere a Village Original production; Rocket Science debuted with much acclaim as a 2009 Village Originals production and is based on HBO Films' Rocket Science written by Jeffrey Blitz. The 17 local teens performing in this production have the additional thrill of working with the show creators: Patricia Cotter (book), Stephen Weiner (music) and Jason Rhyne (lyrics). For this production Steve Tomkins will direct and Tim Symons is the musical director.

In Rocket Science we meet Hal Hefner, a high school junior burdened with a surplus of family chaos and crazy teachers - not to mention a debilitating stutter. Set to an upbeat rock score by Stephen Weiner (Iron Curtain, Once Upon a Time in New Jersey), Hal navigates the frenzied halls of high-school - from his first attempt at romance, to the simple yet overwhelming task of ordering a slice of pizza, to the even more daunting prospect of competing in the state debate contest. He manages it all while keeping both his dignity and his humor intact. Hal discovers the importance of friendship, trust, and self-confidence in this wryly comical new musical.

KIDSTAGE is uniquely designed to use theatre to build critical life skills in each participant. In KIDSTAGE classes and rehearsals, our techniques encourage creativity, collaboration, problem solving, concentration, public speaking, and a strong work ethic. While some students are on a path to Broadway, all students are improving their futures and increasing self-confidence through involvement in KIDSTAGE, Village Theatre Institute, and our Theatre Apprentice Program. Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE in Issaquah is housed at First Stage on Front Street. The Issaquah KIDSTAGE program serves over 1,600 students a year with after school classes, summer camps, and productions. The Youth Education Program impacts over 36,000 people annually in the Eastside community. Details on the Summer Stock and Summer Independent productions can be found HERE.

ROCKET SCIENCE runs today, January 5- 20, 2013; Thur.-Sat. 7:30pm, Sun. 2:00 pm. There will be an additional performance on January 13 at 7:30 pm. Tickets $18 ($16 Youth and Seniors). Tickets: (425) 392-2202 at http://www.villagetheatre.org. First Stage Theatre is located at 120 Front Street, Issaquah, Wash.

For more information, go to http://villagetheatre.org/kidstage.php.

Photo by Jean Johnson. Property of Village Theatre.

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