Tennessee Shakespeare Company Presents The Regional Premiere Of THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE

Tennessee Shakespeare Company will stage the regional premiere of the award-winning children's story "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" on its Owen and Margaret Wellford Tabor Stage, located at TSC's permanent residence at 7950 Trinity Road in Memphis.

The heartwarming play, adapted from the children's book of the same title by Kate DiCamillo, is directed by John J. Yorke and runs Jan. 29 through Feb. 16. The 85-minute performance will play weekday mornings, weekend matinees, and early evenings to accommodate families with children as young as three years old.

The production is generously sponsored by Allison and Tom Garrott, in memory of Mary Elizabeth "Meg" Garrott, and by Independent Bank.

"The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" shares the fantastic voyage of a toy rabbit made of china that gets separated from his owner, a young girl named Abilene who adores him. The play follows Edward's miracle journey between a diverse group of owners from all walks of life. He travels across the world, from the ocean on a fisherman's boat to a garbage heap in a homeless camp, and finally to the bustling streets of Memphis. A different experience with each owner, Edward's journey, filled with live music on stage, brings to life what it is to love, what it means to lose that love, and how to find the courage to love again.

"This family-friendly tale is a journey about learning to love," Yorke said. "But what does it mean to love? For Edward, the situations he experiences and the array of characters he encounters force him to develop an awareness of others beyond himself and, most importantly, to be grateful. Edward's gratitude for the joy and heartbreak he encounters leads him, and us, to an understanding of what it means to love, a valuable lesson for children and an important reminder for adults.

"As a director, I am drawn to plays that engage the audiences' imagination through the adaptive re-use of simple objects in creative ways. Our musical cast plays a myriad of characters as they transition rapidly from an upper-crust New York home to the bottom of the ocean to a rumbling train car. These challenges celebrate creativity while relying on the magic of theatre itself - our belief in the possibility of the impossible."

TSC's professional cast features Michael Khanlarian as The Traveler, Merit Koch as The Musician, Tyler J. Vernon as The Man and Emily McCormick as The Woman. The design team includes scenic designer Brian Ruggaber, costume designer Alexandria Perel-Sams, lighting designer Jeremy Fisher, original music composer Kyle Sorrell and properties/rabbit designer Melanie Mulder. The production stage manager is Alison Letsos, and Brianna Roche is the assistant stage manager.

Tiered seating tickets to "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" range from $15-29 with student and senior discounts available. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.tnshakespeare.org or calling the TSC box office at 901-759-0604.

"The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" is produced by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing, Woodstock, Illinois. It was originally commissioned, developed and produced at Childsplay in Tempe, Arizona, by artistic director David P. Saar and managing director Steve Martin.

Performance schedule for "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane"

All performances will take place at TSC's Owen and Margaret Wellford Tabor Stage, 7950 Trinity Road.

Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, Jan. 30 at 10:30 a.m.

Friday, Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 6 at 10:30 a.m.

Friday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 13 at 10:30 a.m.

Friday, Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m.

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