Saint Paul, MN. November 14, 2022: Park Square Theatre & SteppingStone Theatre for Youth presents THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES (December 2 – December 23) directed by Ansa Akyea, written by Jerome Hairston based on the books by Ezra Jack Keats. This ensemble-driven production will explore the joy of being a child through movement and storytelling.
This production follows Peter throughout Keats’s collection of stories, The Snowy Day, Goggles, Whistle for Willie and A Letter to Amy. Together, the audience gets a glimpse of what it’s like to be a child as Peter experiences the world around him for the first time. This show is specifically designed for children ages 3-10, but the whole family will enjoy the wonder of being a kid again! “Theatre is for everyone,” says Director Ansa Akyea. “Park Square is all about creating community, and we would love for people to come to the theatre together and experience THE SNOWY DAY.” This show helps us to remember some of our first childhood memories, like the excitement of seeing snow for the first time, making a new friend, and learning how to whistle.
A timeless classic, The Snowy Day is the most checked out-volume of all time in the New York Public Library and was the first picture book featuring an African American child to win the Caldecott Medal. THE SNOWY DAY ensemble reflects this with a young, diverse cast. “Diversity is always so important when it comes to productions like these, and I think that we have an extra big responsibility being a children’s show,” says Actor Maje Adams, who plays Peter’s father. “Kids really need to see people that look like them or people who have similar experiences and backgrounds like them on stage. People aspire to be stories that they see in front of them.” Actor Latanya Boone, who plays Peter’s mother, says, “I never considered myself in the space of someone who would be on stage until I saw another person of color on stage. [The cast is] beautifully diverse in all aspects that you can think of. I think that it’s really important for other people to see that they can envision themselves in this space.”
The cast of THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES stars Joe Charley as the beloved character Peter and a talented ensemble including Maje Adams, Jaeden Allen, Latanya Boone, Sophie Dannersmith, Nyla Spika , Jas Wade , and Mason Yang. In addition to playing many characters in the production, the ensemble works with puppets to bring even more characters to life. “The Park Square Team is awesome,” says Akyea. “Working with puppetry shows you how anything is possible if you spend some time thinking about it.” These incredible, life size puppets were created in partnership with Properties Designer Tyler Stamm, from Adventures in Cardboard, an organization set on inspiring creative and imaginative play through creating props and new worlds out of cardboard.
Akyea adapted THE SNOWY DAY to be set in St. Paul, creating custom visuals and elements of sound to portray the setting. Projections Designer Maxwell Collyard says, “attendees should look for local elements in the projections which they may recognize.” Collyard and the creative team researched how various St. Paul neighborhoods could best represent the different books and pieces of the story. “The North End of St. Paul feels like the neighborhood Peter is in, with the industrial areas flowing into more business districts.” Sound Designer Anita Kelling provides insight on what to listen for. “When we first started talking about locating the show in Minnesota and specifically the Twin Cities, I started thinking about iconic Twin Cities sounds, like the light rail, the Farmer’s Market, or the State Fair. I have been capturing sounds around the Twin Cities for years, and I hope you will hear some of those sounds embedded in the soundscape for THE SNOWY DAY.” When adapting the music for this show, Akyea and the creative team took inspiration from influencers like Prince and indie music “…to give it that home grown feel and capture what’s unique about the Twin Cities.”
The incredible creative team for THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES includes Ansa Akyea (Director), Mikell Sapp (Assistant Director), Dane Stauffer (Music Coach), Erik M.C. Gonzalez (Composer), Mark Ferraro-Hauck (Set Designer), Jeni Tolifson (Assistant Scenic Designer), Maxwell Collyard (Projections Designer), Joe Samuel Burch III (Costume Designer), Anita Kelling (Sound Designer), Mikayla Paul (Lighting Designer), Tyler Stamm (Properties Designer), Pete Talbot (Puppets), Amm-Ra Seka (Puppets), Hannah Marh (Movement Director), Jaya Robillard (Stage Manager), and Olivia Nyman (Assistant Stage Manager).
CALENDAR INFORMATION:
THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES
Park Square’s Proscenium Stage
Opening Night: Friday, December 2
Performance Run: Friday, December 2 – Friday, December 23
Sensory Friendly: Saturday, December 10
Audio Description: Friday, December 23
Pay-As-You’re-Able: Sunday, December 11
ASL: Sunday, December 11
Open Captioning: Saturday, December 17
Post-Show Discussions: Sunday, December 11
TICKET PRICES: Regular Run: $16 – $20. Discounts are available for students and educators, seniors, military personnel, those under age 30, and groups of 10 or more. Tickets are on sale by phone at 651.291.7005, (12 noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday – Friday), or online at https://www.steppingstonetheatre.org/series/snowy-day-2022/
PARK SQUARE THEATRE. 20 W. Seventh Place, Saint Paul
Ticket Office: 651.291.7005. www.parksquaretheatre.org
