For Immediate Release: February 27, 2006
Media Contact: Melissa Sodowick, SFPR for Enchantment Theatre Company, 215.627.0801

The magic and wizardry of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Other Magical Tales will captivate children and their adult companions. Presented by Enchantment Theatre Company, it is playing at The Iron Gate Theatre at 37th and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia from May 15 through May 28 with 16 performances. The spectacular magic tricks and illusions in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Other Magical Tales are equaled only by the company’s imaginative masks, puppets and stirring music.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Other Magical Tales offers the rare opportunity of enjoying the talent of its founders Jennifer Blatchley Smith and Landis Smith, the Glenside, PA couple who are both playwrights and performers. With partner Leslie Reidel, resident director and writer, they have taken Enchantment Theatre Company’s original productions all over the world, from all parts of the Far East to education centers and concert halls throughout the United States, including Lincoln Center in New York and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. They have also performed with many symphonies including our own Philadelphia Orchestra.

The show opens with the familiar tale of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which tells the story of a lazy apprentice working magic on his broom to do his chores. When the broom takes over the task of collecting buckets of water, the apprentice finds himself knee-deep in water – and plenty of trouble. Before he can stop them, there are two brooms, three, then four, and the water keeps rising rapidly. Set to Paul Dukas’ rousing music, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice shows what happens when there’s too much of a good thing.

Also on the bill is The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel, the story of a practical jokester whose clever tricks and pranks elicits laughter and delight from the audience. Set to Richard Strauss’ music, the play features magic, including Till’s miraculous escape from the prison’s stocks, while locking up the guard in his place. The third tale is The Enchanted Statue, which magically brings a sculpture to life, uniting it with its creator.

Joined by a talented ensemble cast, Jennifer and Landis Smith take on multiple roles in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Other Magical Tales. Jennifer plays the Broom in the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and the Magic Statue in The Enchanted Statue, and Landis plays the Sorcerer and Till Eulenspiegel. Landis, who began performing magic as a youth, is responsible for creating the tricks and complex illusions that are central to the show. The use of illusion, combined with beautiful masks, puppetry, pantomime, and extraordinary original music, sets Enchantment Theatre apart.

Enchantment Theatre Company was founded in 1979 and has been playing to Philadelphia audiences since 2000, when it committed itself to becoming the city’s own theatrical group just for children and families. Each year the company presents at least two productions on downtown stages, including such favorites as Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and Pinocchio. At the heart of each production is the imaginative telling of fables that excite and captivate audiences.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Other Magical Tales is 60 minutes and features a question and answer session following the production. It is being performed at The Iron Gate Theatre, which is located at 37th and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia. Ticket prices are $22 for adults, $12 for children, with special group rates as low as $8 per ticket, and $2 discount for seniors. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Enchantment Theatre Company Box Office at (215) 881-9899 or by visiting www.enchantmenttheatre.org.

Show times are as follows:
Monday - Friday, May 15-29 at 10 a.m.
Saturday, May 20 at 11 a.m., 2 and 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 21 at 2 p.m.
Tuesday – Friday, May 23-26 at 10 a.m.
Saturday, May 27 at 2 and 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 28 at 2 p.m.

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