May 21, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB Theatre presents "The Ransom of Red Chief," the classic short story by O. Henry, adapted for children by Lee Shackleford, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily June 5-6 and June 11-13; and at 10 a.m. June 7 and June 14, at the Alys Stephens Center's Odess Theatre, 1200 10th Ave. S. The show is directed by Dennis McLernon. Tickets are $5. The production is available for day tours June 16-20 and June 23-27. Fees are $75 per performance inside Jefferson County; $125 per performance plus mileage outside of Jefferson County. For tickets or information on shows and tours, call Mel Christian, UAB Theatre program manager, at 205-934-3237.
Theatre UAB's stage version of "The Ransom of Red Chief" is the latest offering in the department's decades-long series, "Bookends," which presents touring productions of short plays for young people based on classic works of literature. Tailored for children as young as six years, "Red Chief" will be a big hit with parents as well, since the original story was intended for adults, Shackleford said.
"The Ransom of Red Chief" is the story of two men down on their luck. They decide to make quick money by abducting a little boy and keeping him entertained in a cave in the woods until his father pays a ransom. But the boy is more than the kidnappers can handle - in short, he's a brat. He insists that he's an Indian warrior called Red Chief and the kidnappers are his prisoners, which isn't far from the truth. The men struggle to keep the boy incarcerated without hurting him, while trying to survive the child's rambunctious behavior. Will the kidnappers return the boy before the ransom note is even answered? The cast includes students Tim Craig of Birmingham, Sarah Hereford of Huntsville, Pete Moffatt of Alabaster, Jordan Reeves of Hueytown and Emilie Soffe of Enterprise.