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A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD opens Sunday in Berkeley Show will hop to San Ramon, San Francisco, Mill Valley

Does Toad look funny in a bathing suit?   Will Snail deliver the mail?  

Families looking for a perfect holiday adventure will find out at the Bay Area Children’s Theatre (BACT) production of A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD, opening Sunday, November 17, at the Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley.

Nominated for three 2003 Tony awards, A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD is inspired by Arnold Lobel’s beloved Frog and Toad stories, with music by Robert Reale and book and lyrics by Willie Reale.  The show plays weekends at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in Berkeley through Sunday, December 14.

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TICKETS: $20 adults, $18 seniors, $16 children, $13 groups (10 or more)

BOX OFFICE:  www.bactheatre.org  or (510) 296-4433

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This tuneful celebration of the magic of friendship will delight tadpoles and grown-ups alike, as outgoing Frog and his reserved pal Toad romp through a season of comic adventures with their animal friends.  

((High res .jpg attached of Anthony Rollins-Mullens, left, as Toad and Derek Travis Collard, right, as Frog. Photo credit: Joshua Posamentier))


SHOW HOPS TO SAN RAMON, SAN FRANCISCO, MILL VALLEY

After completing its Berkeley run, BACT’s A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD moves to:


  • San Ramon, Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center, 10550 Albion Road, Dec. 21 – 22

  • San Francisco, Children's Creativity Museum Theater, 221 4th Street, Dec. 28 – Jan. 5

  • Mill Valley, Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Avenue, Jan. 11 - 19

ARTISTIC TEAM

Lynda Bachman (Director): Bachman is making her BACT directing debut with A Year with Frog and Toad.  Her recent directing credits include: The Rabbit Hole, Berkeley Playhouse Conservatory, Brandeis University. Her assistant directing credits include: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Shotgun Players, Boxcar Playhouse, Impact Theatre, and Mugwumpin. In addition to working as a freelance director, Bachman is a teaching artist with the San Francisco Opera and literary manager at Impact Theatre.


Lynden Bair (Music Director): Bair returns to BACT for this production after serving as Musical Director for Pinkalicious, the Musical. He is the associate accompanist for the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and has worked in musical theatre as an actor, singer, and pianist.

Hannah Dworkin (Choreographer): Dworkin’s recent choreography credits include Willy Wonka (aerial choreographer, Berkeley Playhouse), Alice in Wonderland (Youth Stage, Berkeley Playhouse) and Aladdin (aerial choreographer, Berkeley Playhouse).  She has performed as the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas (Opera Non Troppo), the Magic Carpet in Aladdin (Berkeley Playhouse—Nominated for Best Supporting Actress, BATCC Awards) and in numerous roles with the Upswing Aerial Dance Company.  Hannah has a master’s degree in Music and Music Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College and works as an arts educator for the San Francisco Ballet and the San Francisco Opera.

Serina Serjama (Scenic Artist, Designer): Serjama has created stage sets by painting, sculpting and designing for many companies on the West Coast since 2000. Recent children's designs include; Lyle, the Crocodile (BACT), The Hobbitt ( Menlo/Atherton Middle school), The Little Mermaid (Menlo Atherton School) and the yearly touring shows of San Francisco Shakespeare Festival--last year featuring A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has also worked with children’s murals and books, including the artistic development of characters in Charlie and Moon by Martin Meader (Australia), now a feature film.  She studied the fine arts in Europe and Asia for eight years under the tutelage of four different artist and teachers. She currently is also working as a freelance artist, and muralist. 


ACTORS

Louise Barcellos (Lady Bird 1, Turtle, Squirrel 2, Mole 3): Barcellos has appeared with multiple regional theaters and cabaret companies. New to the Bay Area, she has worked with San Francisco's Killing My Lobster sketch comedy group, Berkeley Playhouse and Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Derek Travis Collard (Frog): Collard returns to BACT after playing Mr. Pinkerton in Pinkalicious, the Musical, Dad in Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical, and Snail in BACT’s 2011 production of A Year with Frog and Toad. Other recent Bay Area shows include Beauty & The Beast (Lumiere), The Full Monty (Harold), A Christmas Carol and She Loves Me with CenterREP; Little Shop of Horrors (Mr. Mushnik – Shellie Award Winner), Hairspray (Male Authority), and Oliver! (Mr.  Sowerberry, Dr. Grimwig) with Contra Costa Musical Theatre; Jubilee, Wildcat and High Spirits with 42nd Street Moon. Other regional credits include Angels (pre-Broadway Tour), Christmas Carol at the McCarter Theatre, Nunsense A-Men (Sister Amnesia), Bye Bye Birdie (National Tour), Oliver (National Tour), The Gold Wuthakee at Lincoln Center, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Hysterium), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Snoopy), Funny at the Old Globe, Pageant (Miss Great Plains), Sweeney Todd (Tobias), Rocky Horror Show (Riff Raff), and Drood! (Bazzard).

Gloria Betsy Picart (Lady Bird 2, Mouse, Mole 1): Picart has been involved with educational youth theatre since the age of 13, and she plans to pursue her passion for theatre for young audiences in a graduate program next fall. Previous credits include multiple shows with Berkeley Playhouse, Kaiser Permanente's Educational Theatre, and Youth Entertainment Stage (YES) Company.

Anthony Rollins-Mullens (Toad): Rollins-Mullens appears with BACT for the first time. His theatrical credits include: Tom Collins in Rent, Tonton in Once on this Island, Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, Jafar in Disney’s Alladin, Aslan in Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, The Pimp/Big Bad Wolf in the original production of Rent Boy Avenue: A Fairy’s Tale, Eddie Mackrel in the West Coast Premier of LaChuisa’s The Wild Party, Belize in the 20th Anniversary production of Angels in America, Fred in Smokey Joes Cafe, Willie in “Master Harold”. . . and the Boys and Waymon as Hunter Priestess in the West Coast premiere of Good Goods.

Anna Smith (Man Bird, Lizard, Squirrel 1, Mole 2): Smith is returning to BACT for her third production. Previous BACT shows include both runs of Pinkalicious, the Musical and last fall's Lyle the Crocodile. Most recently seen in The Wiz at Berkeley Playhouse, Anna has also performed around the Bay Area in productions with New Conservatory Theatre Center (Dear Harvey), Ray of Light Theatre (Assassins, Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award nomination), and various other productions, including a short play in this year's San Francisco Fringe Festival. Also a professional teaching artist, Anna is the executive director of The Quinan Street Project in Pinole.

Max Thorne (Snail): Thorne makes his BACT debut in A Year with Frog and Toad. He has performed in the Edinburgh Fringe festival and participated in Nationals in the annual Thespian Conference Competition. Credits from previous shows include Rent (Altarena Playhouse), Beauty and the Beast (Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre) and Cabaret (Shakespeare at Stinson).

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About the Bay Area Children's Theatre

The Bay Area Children's Theatre (BACT), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2004, serves 43,000 people throughout the Bay Area, offering professional performances inspired by children’s literature as well as in-school and after-school theatre instruction for children. We believe in the power of theatre to build community, spark creativity, and introduce children to the larger world in which we live.

Our Mission: To inspire young audiences with imaginative productions, introduce children of all backgrounds to the excitement of live theatre, and create an engaging, entertaining, and educational environment in which children and their families can explore and enjoy the arts.

How We Carry Out Our Mission:

  • Bring high quality, professional theatre to children and their families, with artists who create vibrant worlds that are intriguing to young audiences

  • Encourage young people to explore literature, language, and the arts by producing stage adaptations of great children’s books

  • Engage pre-kindergartners in the world of theatre with productions specially designed for them

  • Develop and perform exciting new work for the stage

  • Reach out to children who might not otherwise experience live theatre with free tickets and touring productions at local schools, libraries and community centers

  • Create touring productions for young audiences nationwide

  • Introduce children to the joy of performance with theatre classes in schools and community arts centers through our Youth Education Program.

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