“LISTEN - This is the beginning. And when we get to the end, we will know more than we do now.”

So begins Hans Christian Andersen’s tale THE SNOW QUEEN, a story of Gerda and her journey to find her lost friend, Kai. And, in GERDA’S JOURNEY, a site-specific production by theater simple, the audience will literally go on Gerda’s adventure with her, following her and other characters as the play moves through one of King County’s beautiful urban parks. 

An immersive experience exploiting the unique topography of each park to frame the story (and the park itself) in new ways for the audience, there are encounters with devious devils, self-absorbed flowers, talking crows, a ferocious robber band, and more.

theater simple theatrics act as a springboard for a fresh(-air) take on a familiar tale to make this one of the MUST GO! events of the Pacific Northwest summer.

Fairy tales: Not just for kids anymore. (But then, they never were...)

How long? 60 minutes or so (depending on distance to travel)

Target audience: all ages. Grown-ups will get the puns, kids will get the rest. Parks are wheelchair accessible.

Cost: free, but donations are welcome to defray actual costs of performance.

theater simple’s original adaptation of THE SNOW QUEEN in 1999 won raves, accolades and awards -  GERDA’S JOURNEY is a stepping stone toward a re-envisioning of that production. The sparkling new version of THE SNOW QUEEN will play at the Bathhouse at Seattle’s Greenlake November 19-23, 2008.

Nice things said about theater simple’s production of THE SNOW QUEEN –

"ONE OF THE TOP TEN PLAYS of 1999  …bushels of theatrical invention…...perhaps the most magical show on offer this season." The Seattle Weekly

"… enchantment few will resist. Theatrical magic." The Seattle Times  

[FUTURE FILE NOTE: The full-length production of THE SNOW QUEEN returns this year, Nov 19-23, ’08 at the Bathhouse Theatre,  7312 W. Green Lake Dr. N., Seattle, WA 98103.]

The creative team of GERDA’S JOURNEY includes many of the original The Snow Queen team:  director, Rachel Katz Carey, composer Jeff Kunins, costumer and sculptor Doris Landolt Black, and theater simpletons Llysa Holland, Christine Longé, Andrew Litzky, and Monique Kleinhans.

theater simple is known locally and internationally for their work with literary adaptations as well as their site-specific escapades. GERDA’S JOURNEY combines both. Past work on adaptations include Bulgakov’sThe Master & Margarita, Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground, Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness, Kipling’sThe Elephant's Child,  Dickens’ HARD TIMES and Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Previous 4Culture-sponsored site-specific events include TRAILER TALES: Weekend Safari, and PARK BENCH.

(Podcasts from Park Bench are available here: http://www.gcast.com/user/theater_simple/podcast/main)

The Snow Queen: GERDA’S JOURNEY is supported by grants from 4Culture, The Seattle Mayor’s Office for Arts and Culture, and Centrum. theater simple is proud to be a member of Theater Puget Sound, the Network of Ensemble Theaters, and a partner artist of the SHUNPIKE.  www.theshunpike.org

Thurs Aug 21, 2008 at 7:30pm, Lake Meridian Park, 14800 SE 272nd Street, in Kent (South King County)

Sat Aug  23 & Sun Aug 24 at 5pm at The Carl S. English, Jr. Botanical Garden next to the Hiram Chittenden Locks, in the auspiciously Scandinavian neighborhood of Ballard in Seattle

Sat Aug 30 at 1pm and Mon Sept 1 at 4:45pm at Bumbershoot, on the Theatre Puget Sound stage. (check tpsonline.org or Bumbershoot.org for ticket information)

Sat Sept 13 at 6:30pm in McCormick Park, 26200 NE Stephens Street, Duvall