The acclaimed Little Theatre of the Deaf will perform a variety of stories from Shel Silverstein's beloved children's classic "The Giving Tree" on Sunday, April 18, at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The company will give performances at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and birthday party packages are available for both shows. There will also be a performance Monday, April 19, at 10 a.m. for school groups and families on school vacation.

The innovative production combines American Sign Language and spoken word to create a unique visual language that one critic described as "poetry for the eye and ear."

The Little Theatre of the Deaf is the children's theater wing of the Tony Award-winning National Theatre of the Deaf. The company has adapted classic and contemporary works from Shakespeare to Ogden Nash, Voltaire to Dylan Thomas. John Lithgow, Marcel Marceau, Chita Rivera, Sir Michael Redgrave and Jason Robards are among the artists who have lent their talents to NTD productions.

The Quick Center performance will begin with an introduction that acquaints audiences with American Sign Language and teaches them words they can sign. As the troupe performs stories incorporating the words, the audience sees how much fun using the language can be in a theater setting.

The centerpiece of this memorable performance is "The Giving Tree," Silverstein's unforgettable tale of a tree and her unconditional love for a boy that continues throughout his life. The performance concludes with the interactive improvisational piece "Your Game," which has been a cornerstone of Little Theatre of the Deaf productions since 1969.

Tickets for the Sunday performances are $12 for adults, $10 for children. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit the website www.quickcenter.com.

Posted On: 03-19-2004 10:03 AM

Volume: 36 Number: 230