Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC), educating and inspiring new generations of theater artists and audiences with exceptional theatrical experiences, celebrates the best of Theatre for Young Audiences with its 2023-2024 season. The 72nd season will mark the first season by recently appointed Melynda Burdette Wintrol, Executive Director, and Kurt Boehm, Artistic Director, and will be one of incredible artistry, literature, nostalgia, and audience favorites beginning with two past adventures: You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (September 22 – October 29, 2023) and the magical two-actor version of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (November 17, 2023 – January 7, 2024). The season will also feature two new shows to Adventure Theatre MTC: Junie B. Jones, The Musical (February 2 – March 30, 2024) and Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales (April 26 – May 26, 2024). The season will conclude with fan-favorite, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical (June 21 – August 19, 2024), based on the beloved book by Mo Willems.
Says Kurt Boehm, newly appointed Adventure Theatre MTC Artistic Director, “This season we are bringing back some old favorites that have previously been produced at ATMTC. Additionally, we will be exploring the ‘Best of Theater for Young Audiences’ featuring artists that live and work in the DMV area. We are thrilled to re-establish our long-standing relationships with MaryHall Surface, Ashleigh King, Tom Story, Angelisa Gillyard, and more. Our season is filled with Adventure for all ages, and we cannot wait to see you back in our Glen Echo space!”
To kick off the season, Kurt Boehm will direct the revised version of YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN, based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. This award-winning musical has delighted audiences of all ages with its charm, wit, and heart; inspiring several national tours, television productions, and a Broadway revival.
Tom Story, multi-Helen Hayes award recipient and director of the popular two-actor 2016 version of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, returns to direct the 2023 remount, highlighting the fantasy, play, and transformation that are central to this classic story.
In 2024, Ashleigh King will examine the trials and tribulations of first grade with JUNIE B. JONES, THE MUSICAL, a delightful adaptation of four of Barbara Park’s best-selling books, brought to life in a genuinely comical (and not strictly-for-kids) musical.
Adventure brings a Springtime full of Appalachian fairy tales to life with 8-time Helen Hayes Award nominee and 1-time recipient director MaryHall Surface (2008 Goodnight Moon, Ella Enchanted) in 2024’s SING DOWN THE MOON: APPALACHIAN WONDER TALES. Nominated for five Helen Hayes Awards, it was commissioned and originally produced by Theater of the First Amendment, George Mason University’s professional theater in Fairfax, Virginia.
The season concludes with KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY MUSICAL, based on Mo Willems’ Caldecott Honor-winning children’s book. Angelisa Gillyard will lead the heartwarming story of a girl, her father, and her beloved stuffed animal. Six-time Emmy Award winner, Mo Willems and Grammy Award-winning composer, Michael Silversher, teamed up to create this heart-warming and hilarious show that will now be brought to life for DC-area families!
“I am thrilled to unveil our highly anticipated season, which promises to be a celebration of artistic excellence, creativity, and the power of live theatrical performance”, says Executive Director Melynda Burdette Wintrol. “Kurt has knocked it out of the park, curating a diverse and captivating lineup that will touch your heart, bring you joy, and transport you to extraordinary worlds. Whether you are a long-time Adventure Theatre supporter or a first-time visitor, we extend our warmest welcome and invite you to be a part of our vibrant community. Our theater is more than a venue; it is a space for collective imagination, empathy, and growth for patrons of all ages. Together, let us embark on a journey of discovery, where we can revel in the magic of live performance and be forever inspired.”
Tickets are $25 each with group and field trip rates available. Flexpasses, a book of 10 tickets, applicable to any show in the 2023-2024 season, are currently on sale for $175. All performances will take place at Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD, 20812 in the historic Glen Echo Park. For more information about Adventure Theatre MTC, call 301-634-2270 or visit www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org.
ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC 2023-2024 SEASON LISTINGS
YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN
September 22 – October 29, 2023
Based on The Comic Strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Clark Gesner
Additional Dialogue by Michael Mayer
Additional Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Directed by Kurt Boehm
With charm, wit, and heart, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown explores life’s big questions through the eyes of the Peanuts gang as they play baseball, fly kites, struggle with homework, swoon over crushes, and celebrate the joys of friendship. Growing up is serious business!
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
November 17, 2023 – January 7, 2024
Based on the story by C.S. Lewis
Dramatized by le Clanché du Rand
Directed by Tom Story
Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy discover a secret portal to a magical world called Narnia. With an evil White Witch ruling the kingdom, can Lucy, her new friend Mr. Tumnus, and her family band together to save this land from the eternal winter?
JUNIE B. JONES, THE MUSICAL
February 2 – March 30, 2024
Adapted from the JUNIE B. JONES series by Barbara Park
Book and Lyrics by Marcy Heisler
Music by Zina Goldrich
Directed by Ashleigh King
It is Junie B.’s first day of first grade, and a lot of things have changed for her: Junie’s friend, Lucille, does not want to be her best pal anymore and, on the bus, Junie B. makes friends with Herb, the new kid at school. Also, Junie has trouble reading the blackboard and her teacher, Mr. Scary, thinks she may need glasses. Throw in a friendly cafeteria lady, a kickball tournament and a “Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal,” and first grade has never been more exciting. Featuring a tremendously lovable character and fun-filled songs, Junie B. Jones will capture your audience members’ hearts just as the books captivated an entire generation of students.
SING DOWN THE MOON: APPALACHIAN WONDER TALES
April 26 – May 26, 2024
Book by MaryHall Surface
Music by David Maddox
Lyrics by MaryHall Surface and David Maddox
Directed by MaryHall Surface
Journey into the Appalachian Mountains in this award-winning musical that deftly weaves six traditional tales and original music into a keepsake quilt of mountain lore and wisdom for the whole family. Three “Jack tales” feature the resourceful, clever Jack who climbs a wonder-bean tree to find giants in the sky, who lands himself a job despite his foolishness, and who wins the heart of Featherflight, the magical daughter of a devilish trickster. “Catskins” is a spunky Appalachian Cinderella. “The Enchanted Tree” is a beauty-and-the-beast love story between a lost girl and a frightening crow. And in a zany, sung-through “Sow and Her Three Pigs” plucky Nancy the pig outsmarts the hungry fox. This play with music incorporates singing, mountain dances, music, and giant puppets to create a highly theatrical storytelling style. The score, which interweaves music throughout the tales, is inspired by “Old Time” Appalachian music featuring fiddle and banjo that drives the play’s action and makes music itself a character in the play.
KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY MUSICAL
June 21 – August 19, 2024
Based on the Caldecott Honor-winning book by Mo Willems
Book and Lyrics by Mo Willems
Music by Michael Silversher
Directed by Angelisa Gillyard
Trixie and her father bustle through the streets of New York City down the block, through the park, past the school, to the Laundromat. But returning home, Knuffle Bunny is gone, and Trixie cannot tell her father what is wrong.
ABOUT ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC
Located in Glen Echo Park (Glen Echo, MD) and with an Academy in Wintergreen Plaza (Rockville, MD), Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC) educates and inspires new generations of theater artists and audiences with exceptional theatrical experiences.
