Lifelike Puppets Star in English Language Premiere of EMIL OF LONNEBERGA

Five-year-old Emil loves soup sooo much that he leans way into the soup tureen at dinner one night to slurp up the last few drops—and gets stuck! How will he get the soup tureen off his head?

Find out at the Bay Area Children’s Theatre’s premiere of Emil of Lönneberga, opening Saturday, December 10, at 2 p.m. at the Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison Street in Berkeley.

Emil of Lönneberga brings to the English-language stage the amusing adventures of an angelic-looking farm lad who can’t seem to stay out of trouble—a series of tales set in Sweden about 100 years ago by Astrid Lindgren, beloved author of the children’s classic, Pippi Longstocking.  

In this new adaptation by Miles Nye, impetuous Emil, his little sister, Ida, and their assorted animal pals are charming, lifelike puppets, manipulated Bunraku-style by puppeteers who appear on stage with them. The grown-ups in Emil’s world—his beleaguered parents and the townsfolk who take up a collection to send him to America—are, well, real grown-ups, but they can be charming, too, when  they aren’t shaking their heads or gnashing their teeth. 

Live musicians will add to the fun with traditional folk music from the region of Småland, Sweden, where Lönneberga is located.  Felicity Hesed directs the production.

The English language premiere of Emil of Lönneberga is being produced with support from the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation and the Mimi & Harold Steinberg Charitable Trust.

WHO:  Bay Area Children’s Theatre

WHAT:  Emil of Lönneberga

WHEN:  December 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA

TICKETS: $20 adults, $17 seniors, $15 children, $12 groups

BOX OFFICE:  http://www.bactheatre.org/ and (510) 296-4433

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About Bay Area Children's Theatre

Our Mission: To inspire young audiences with imaginative productions, introduce children of all backgrounds to the excitement of live theatre, and create an engaging, entertaining, and educational environment in which children and their families can explore and enjoy the arts. 

How We Carry Out Our Mission

• Bring high quality, professional theatre to children and their families, with artists who create vibrant worlds that are intriguing to young audiences
• Encourage young people to explore literature, language, and the arts by producing stage adaptations of great children’s books
• Engage pre-kindergartners in the world of theatre with productions specially designed for them
• Develop and perform exciting new work for the stage
• Reach out to children who might not otherwise experience live theatre with free tickets and touring productions at local schools, libraries and community centers
• Create touring productions for young audiences nationwide
• Introduce children to the joy of performance with classes, workshops, and summer camp theatre programs

Bay Area Children's Theatre (BACT) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.