Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Troupe To Perform "Jack and the Bean Stalk" At Nevada Elementary

The Tell-A-Tale Troupe of the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock will perform "Jack and the Beanstalk" at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 2, at Nevada Elementary School. Local sponsor is Prescott Service League.

Adapted for the stage by P.J. Powers of Arkansas Ars Center, "Jack amd the Beanstalk" is a classic tale of the struggle between good and evil.

The hero, young Jack, is sent to the market to sell the family cow. He is persuaded by a fast-talking salesman to take so-called "magic" beans instead of money for the cow.

Naturally, his mother is quite upset with the business transaction. But when the beans are planted and an enormous beanstalk emerges up into the heavens, Jack has a chance to redeem himself and goes up the beanstalk to confront an evil giant.

According to Bradley Anderson, artistic director of The Arts Center Children's Theatre and director of this production, "Jack and the Beanstalk" has been around since the 1700's.

"Fairy tales such as this were told to children to teach them that consequences do result from actions, and that good behavior is rewarded just as bad behavior is punished," he said.

The role of Jack is played by Thomas Hankins, son of well-known Little Rock radio personlity Craig O'Neill, and his artist wife, Jane Hankins. John Isner will play the dual roles of Mr. Magic (the salesman) and Giant, Laura Reynolds is the mother, and Lakeetra Gilbert plays Puella, the Giant's wife.

The Tell-A-Tale Troupe travels statewide performing three plays each year. Intended to be both educational and entertaining, the plays are often the first live theatre experience for many school child-ren.

"Jack and the Beanstalk" tours from Novmeber 4 through Decem-ber 23; "Amelia Earhart: On Wings of Flight," from February 16 to March 27; and "Just So Stories," from April l6 to May 15.

All Arkansas Arts Center touring programs are supported in part by the Arkansas Arts Concil, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. State Services receives additional program support from the Brown Foundation Inc., Entergy, Southwestern Bell Foun-dation, International Paper, Potlatch Corporation, and the Nationl Endowment for the Arts.

In addition to the Tell-A-Tale Troupe, the State Services Department of the Arts Center also schedules the Artmobile, a 40-foot mobile gallery and 13 different traveling exhibitionsCeach containing original works from the Arts Center permanent collection.

Additional information about the Arkansas Arts Center's touring programs may be obtained by call-ing Ned Metcalf, State Services Director, at 1-800-264-2787.