May 1, 2009

This weekend is your last chance to see the cast of ten talented Drexel students playing alongside professional actors of the EgoPo Company in Bluebird. This original adaptation of Maurice Maeterlink's classic fable follows the adventures of a little boy who must find the bluebird of happiness in order to save his ailing sister. Their journey leads them into a world of magical trees and dark caverns where they meet enchanting and powerful characters. Bluebird is performed to the accompaniment of live music performed by Orchestra 2001, composed by Pulitzer Prize winner George Crumb, andis on the main stage of the Mandell Theater through May 10th.

The Mandell Professionals in Residence Project (MPiRP), now in its 4th year, brings professional regional theater, music or dance companies to campus to work with our students in a multi-term process to create new theatrical work. Lane Savadove, founder and Artistic Director of EgoPo Productions, a repertory company committed to revitalizing theater's classics, directed Bluebird. Orchestra 2001, a contemporary music group dedicated to premiering, performing and promoting the music of 20th and 21st-century composers frequently performs the music of Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winning composer George Crumb.
Drexel students are handling many behind-the-scene roles for Bluebird. All in all, students from six different Drexel colleges and six Westphal programs are working on the production.

Tickets for Bluebird are $5 with a valid Drexel ID or $28 for the public. Children under 16 are free with purchase of a $28 ticket. To purchase tickets, please call 1-800-595-4TIX. MPiRP is an ongoing collaboration between Drexel University and the professional arts community of the Greater Philadelphia area.