Author Gertrude Chandler Warner wrote the first book in what would become her “Boxcar Children” series in 1924. It would go on to spawn more than 100 books with the plucky children typically solving mysteries.
Prime Stage Theatre’s Sprouts program will bring the stories to life on stage as they present “The Boxcar Children” from June 17 to 25 at the New Hazlett Theater on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
“‘The Boxcar Children’ has remained a mainstay of libraries and bookstores for over 90 years,” said director Laura Wurzell. “The stage version brings this beloved story to life, allowing the audience to meet the Alden children as they are presented with a life-altering situation that threatens to split them apart.”
Adapted for the stage by playwright Barbara Field, “The Boxcar Children” follows the Alden siblings as they lose their parents and are pursued by the authorities as well as a mysterious stranger. Along the way, they make a new home in an abandoned railroad boxcar and discover both the rewards and perils of a life on the run and the joy of having their own small family.
“The secret to the books’ longevity is the inherent theme that (Alden sibling) Henry introduces: ‘We Aldens stick together like glue,’” Wurzell said. “The children show us how to focus on the needs of their siblings, not themselves. In taking care of each other, they begin to move forward through their loss, ultimately finding new relationships to celebrate.”
“The Boxcar Children” opens June 17, with 7 p.m. performances on Fridays and Saturdays and a 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee. It will run through June 25. Special performances include a sensory-inclusive show at 2:30 p.m. June 24 and an audio-described/ASL-signed show at 2:30 p.m. June 25.
Tickets are $19 to $39 and are available at NewHazlettTheater.org.
New Hazlett Theater is located at 6 Allegheny Square East on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
