Christopher Castagna as Hansel and Maddie Gillespie as Gretel (Photo/Curio Theatre Company)

During this holiday season, Curio Theatre Company is inviting families to their new Make/Partake theatre experience based on a popular children’s tale. Hansel & Gretel opens this Friday at the theatre located at the Calvary Center at 48th and Baltimore, with previews on Wednesday and Thursday.

Curio is bringing another Make/Partake experience following the great success of Jack and the Beanstalk and The Three Little Pigs. It is an immersive experience from the moment it starts. Audience members don’t just watch the show, they take part in the action: making props, sound effects, and shadow puppets and even controlling the weather. This event is fun for the whole family and people of all ages (3 and up) are invited.

The show is written by Curio’s artistic director Paul Kuhn and directed by Mya Flood. It features Philadelphia actors Maddie Gillespie, Christopher Castagna, and Aetna Gallagher.

Hansel & Gretel opens Friday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. and runs December 20th to 31st (11 a.m. and 3 p.m.). Previews are December 17-18 at 6 p.m.

Tickets are available here.

We’re sad to report that West Philly’s Curio Theatre Company has cancelled the final show of their 20th anniversary season due to unfortunate circumstances. The new production, A Funeral Farce, was scheduled to run from April 30 to May 17, but has been postponed indefinitely after a few key staff and family members were diagnosed with serious illnesses, according to an announcement posted on social media.

“After many hours of talks and weighing many options we must, with heavy hearts, cancel our last production of Season 20,” the announcement reads. “We have quite unexpectedly been hit with multiple serious family illnesses. Three of us who are deeply involved in many aspects of the show have been profoundly affected by cancer.”

The show is co-written by Jared Reed and Curio’s artistic director Paul Kuhn and directed by Curio’s managing director Gay Carducci-Kuhn. Curio members hope to do this show in the future, “hopefully with the same cast and crew.”

Purchased tickets will be reimbursed, but in its continuous effort to never turn away a child for financial reasons, Curio is asking to consider donating your purchased ticket to Curio’s Spotlight Fund which gives scholarships to children who cannot afford to attend Saturday classes and camp.

Curio Theatre Company is kicking off their 20th anniversary season with the Philadelphia premiere of Larissa FastHorse’s satirical comedy and Broadway hit, The Thanksgiving Play. The play has been one of the most produced plays in the country. Curio Theatre Co-Founder Tim Martin is directing the staging, which runs October 23-November 9.

“Our playwright was tired of hearing many theatres say that they couldn’t produce plays with Native characters because there weren’t enough Native actors,” said Martin “This play is her response. Four well-meaning theatre artists come together to create a play for an elementary school, all the while struggling with the need for Native representation. Watch and laugh as they sort through cultural myths of our nation’s favorite family-focused turkey feast, by America’s premiere Lakota playwright.”

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Curio Theatre Company is celebrating 20 years of theatre in West Philadelphia this upcoming season and will present several great shows, both for adults and children, from October to May.

The company kicks off this anniversary season with the Philadelphia premiere of Larissa Fasthorse’s Broadway hit, The Thanksgiving Play. The play centers around a group of four well-meaning but culturally insensitive white theatre artists who attempt to create a politically correct elementary school play about the first Thanksgiving while struggling with their own biases and the lack of Native representation. Curio Theatre Co-Founder, Tim Martin, is directing this smart and funny premiere which runs October 23-November 9. Opening Night is Saturday, Oct. 26.

Next, in time for the holidays, Curio is bringing back its Make/Partake theatre experience. The next show is The Three Little Pigs, written by Company Co-Founder and Artistic Director Paul Kuhn.

As they did with Jack In The Beanstalk last year, children will begin by making theatre props, set pieces, voice recordings and more. All of these will then be incorporated into the story to create a magical theatre experience for all who attend. The Three Little Pigs runs December 12-29. Opening is Saturday, Dec. 14. Recommended for children 3-12 though the whole family will enjoy it!

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West Philadelphia’s Curio Theatre Company invites everyone to the Philadelphia premiere of Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, a unique theater/music hybrid inspired by the true tale of two Jewish Romanian refugees finding love after arriving on the shores of Canada in 1908. This hilarious and edgy story is interwoven with a high-energy Klezmer concert.

The play is written by Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch and features songs by Ben Caplan and Christian Barry. At Curio, Old Stock will be directed by Rachel Gluck with sound and music direction by Damien Figueras. Artistic Director Paul Kuhn will bring his set design talents to the stage, using his well-known ability to create detailed worlds using repurposed materials (read more about Curio’s recycling efforts here). In addition to Gluck, Kuhn, and Figueras, Aetna Gallagher joins the crew as Costume and Prop Designer.

The show features themes of hope and of learning to love after being broken by the horrors of war.

“As a Jewish woman, I feel as though Old Stock could be about my ancestors who came to the New World looking for refuge from anti-Semitism at the beginning of the 20th century,” says Gluck. “Old Stock is a raucous, deeply moving punk-Klezmer musical that challenges us all to see ourselves as a part of a larger narrative that continues to this day. It’s the story of refugees banging on the door, begging to be let into a place where they hope that they might finally be safe.”

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Here’s a free and fun program for teens who want to explore their creative side. Curio Theatre Company is currently recruiting new students to their award winning program, CuriosiTeens.

This program is the perfect opportunity to discover your passion for the arts. Teens ages 13 to 18 are invited to come hang out with Curio Theatre folks on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and make unforgettable memories. The first session is this Saturday, Dec. 16.

If you are interested to join the program please call at 215-921-8243 to learn more.

Curio Theatre is located at 4740 Baltimore Avenue at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community.

For more information about Curio Theatre Company and it events and programs, visit: http://www.curiotheatre.org.

(Photo courtesy of Curio Theatre)