Weymouth resident Jim Gross will appear this month in Sideways Stories From Wayside School, a wacky, witty, kid-friendly play at Riverside Theatre Works in Hyde Park – directed by his wife, Toni Ruscio.
Based on the award-winning children’s books by Louis Sachar, Sideways Stories is set at a school that, by mistake, was built extremely tall instead of wide – leading to all sorts of skewed adventures. Wayside School is a place where pigtails talk, the principal steals lunch money, the kids on the 30th floor might get turned into apples (and back), and the teacher on the 19th floor might not exist.
Find out what's happening in Weymouthfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Gross plays Louis, the yard teacher – a friend and adviser to the kids, and an occasional voice of sanity in Wayside’s oddball world. He is also the set designer, and has designed and built the sets for seven other Riverside productions, including Big River, Oklahoma, Children of Eden, Hairspray and Nuncrackers.
Find out what's happening in Weymouthfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Ruscio, the executive director of Riverside Theatre Works, is an accomplished actress, director, producer, and teacher. Her previous acting credits include Mrs. Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank, Truvy in Steel Magnolias, Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town and Gymnasia in A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum. This past fall, Ruscio directed The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee at Curtain Call Theatre in Braintree and appeared as Sister Mary Leo in Riverside’s Nuncrackers.
“We’re so fortunate to have Toni and Jim, who have contributed so much to this production,” said Marietta Phinney, Riverside Theatre Works’ founding director. “We’re hoping Sideways Stories helps kids discover the joy of theater, and inspires them to come back for more.”
Performances of Sideways Stories will take place on February 27 at 10:30 a.m., February 28 at 7 p.m., March 1 at 7 p.m., and March 2 at 2 p.m., at 45 Fairmount Avenue, Hyde Park. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets, go to www.rtwboston.org or call 1-866-811-4111.
ABOUT RIVERSIDE THEATRE WORKS
Riverside Theatre Works, the only live theater venue in Hyde Park, is dedicated to bringing quality theater to the surrounding area – and enriching lives with exposure to the arts.
RTW strives to reach a diverse community through affordable ticket prices, scholarships and outreach programs, all while nurturing the talents of local artists.
