Theatre MSU presents “The True Adventures of Pinocchio” Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on the mainstage of McComas Hall to continue the show season.
Tim Matheny, director, said he began his first semester at Mississippi State University this year and has chosen “The True Adventures of Pinocchio” as his first showcase.
The MSU Theatre began showing “The True Adventures of Pinocchio” to local elementary students early this week. Matheny said he is enthusiastic about this particular show and the way it will impact children.
He said he believes the episodic nature of the show will translate well to kids due to the many adventures Pinocchio faces. Episodic nature refers to a series of loosely connected parts or events.
“I chose Pinocchio because it has some really great life lessons for the kids and it’s very episodic,” Matheny said. “It’s his adventures on his way to becoming a human boy.”
Matheny said the hard work of the cast and crew has started to pay off. The cast auditioned the first week of school.
Rehearsals have been going on for about four weeks. Due to the football game last Saturday, dress rehearsals were held Sept. 18-20. The elementary showcases have brought in over 3,500 children to fill the theatre.
Kellie Leonard, sophomore secondary education major, said she is interested in what Theatre MSU has to offer. She said she loves MSU’s Introduction to Theatre and the way it focuses on many different aspects of theatre. She also said she enjoys seeing how theatre relates to people’s lives. Leonard said if she knew about Pinocchio prior to the week of the play’s showing, she would have tried to get involved.
“I would have been interested in helping out simply because the play was for children and I’m really a big fan of starting children into watching theatre early on because it helps immensely in the rest of their lives,” she said.
Tickets can be purchased prior to the event on the Theatre MSU website, www.comm.msstate.edu/theatre/. Adult tickets are $10 and children’s tickets are $5. Saturday, MSU students will have the opportunity to see Pinocchio’s adventures.
The adventures will include the many friends Pinocchio will meet, the manipulation of the sly fox and cat, the disappearance of his father, unintelligent boys turning into donkeys, Pinocchio turning into a real boy and so much more.
The MSU website encourages all to come out Saturday at 2:30 p.m., on the mainstage in McComas hall to see “The True Adventures of Pinocchio,” which they describe as “the classic tale of a puppet who yearns to be a real boy.”
