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State Theatre hosts Story Wranglers

Updated: Friday, February 10 2012, 02:31 PM CST
By Rob Faubion, Austin On Stage www.austinonstage.com

Austin-area children’s stories come to life in a "Saturday Night Live"-style musical production as the award-winning school-based theatre program plays the State Theatre on January 31.

The Story Wranglers - part of the Paramount Theatre's Academy for the Arts - works with Austin-area classrooms to bring kids’ stories to their own school stages in front of an audience of their peers.  Now, those stories move downtown to the historic State Theatre for a special staging on Tuesday, January 31.
      
Austin-area children’s stories will come to life in a "Saturday Night Live"-style musical production.  One of the stories is rooted deep in a young child’s fight against cancer
    
Current University of Texas student Ben Bazan has been working for The Story Wranglers for more than three years, bringing 3rd graders stories to life while bolstering enthusiasm for writing, storytelling and self-expression in their classroom.  This past fall - while teaching creative writing techniques for seven weeks at Hart Elementary, he noticed that there was a desk that had all the clues of a student working at it, but was always empty while he was there. 
    
He inquired about the seemingly deserted desk and asked why that student wasn’t a part of the Story Wrangler program.  The teacher soberly mentioned that the student had recently been recovering from cancer and was utilizing tutorials to catch up. 
    
Bazan spent extra days working directly with the student, Juan, and the duo worked on stories.  Juan was especially interested in having his story about his fight against cancer written and shared - where the student was a superhero who defeated evil cancer monsters.
     
The Story Wranglers team produced and performed Juan’s story at Hart Elementary to great response, and the show now moves downtown - along with other 3rd grade-created stories - for a one-night performance at the State Theatre.  Doors open at 6 p.m., with the curtain going up at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $5 for general admission.
     
The State Theatre and Stateside at the Paramount is located at 719 Congress Avenue.  For more information and reservations, call (512) 474-1221 or visit www.AustinTheatre.org.

(Image courtesy Austin Theatre)State Theatre hosts Story Wranglers