UB Theatre and Dance Presents: "Dr. Seuss's The Cat In The Hat"

Buffalo, NY – The UB Department of Theatre and Dance will present the beloved family classic “Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in The Hat.” Directed by UB Music Theatre major Jill Anderson, this all-student produced show will have public performances at UB Katharine Cornell Theatre on Friday, September 27 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. 

“Our 30 minute show is filled with fun, adventure and, of course, a lot of mischief,” said Anderson. “Dr. Seuss created timeless stories for all ages, making The Cat in the Hat a fun night out for the whole family.”

Audiences will be treated to fun, visual gags like flying fish, balancing acts and the outlandish machine which cleans up the mess once the fun is done. Before the show there will be crafts, coloring pages, and other Dr. Seuss books available for children and families (30 minutes prior to curtain). After the performance there will be a meet in greet and photo opportunities with the cast.

What can audiences expect from Jill Anderson’s theatrical version of the story? “I want the audience to see these iconic character jump right off the page and land center stage. You will see all of your favorites, like the rambunctious Thing One and Thing Two, the frazzled Fish, and of course the mysterious Cat in the Hat himself. Our production follows the storybook word for word in full Dr. Seuss rhyme.”

Theodor Geisel, writing as Dr. Seuss, created The Cat in the Hat partly in response to a 1954 Life magazine article by John Hersey that was critical of the stilted, didactic primer books children were forced to read in school, like Dick and Jane. Book publisher William Spaulding of Houghton Mifflin reportedly challenged Dr. Seuss to, "Write me a story that first-graders can't put down!"

The story begins as a girl named Sally and her brother, who serves as the narrator, sit alone in their house on a cold, rainy day, staring wistfully out the window. Then they hear a loud bump which is quickly followed by the arrival of the Cat in the Hat, a tall anthropomorphic cat in a red and white striped hat and a red bow tie. The Cat proposes to entertain the children with some tricks. The children's pet fish refuses, insisting that the Cat should leave. The Cat responds by balancing the fish on the tip of his umbrella. The game becomes trickier, as the Cat balances himself on a ball while trying to support other household items on his limbs until he falls on his head, dropping everything. The fish admonishes him again, but the Cat in the Hat just proposes another game.

The Cat brings in a big red box, from which he releases two identical characters, or "Things" as he refers them to, with blue hair and red suits, and called Thing One and Thing Two. The Things cause more trouble. They fly kites in the house, knock pictures off the wall and pick up the children's mother's new dress. All comes to an end when the fish spots the children's mother out the window. In response, Sally's brother catches the Things in a net, and the Cat, apparently ashamed, stores them back in his box. He takes it out the front door as the fish and the children survey the mess he has made. But the Cat soon returns, riding a machine that picks everything up and cleans the house. He then leaves just before their mother arrives, and the fish and the children are back where they started. As the mother steps in she asks the children what they did while she was out, but the children are hesitant and do not answer. The story ends with the question, "What would you do if your mother asked you?"

Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat is part of UB Department of Theatre and Dance’s annual Student Directed Series, made possible by the generous support of The Abbe Raven Martin Tackel Fund.

DATES & TIMES:

Friday, September 27, 2019 at 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 2 p.m. and at 6 p.m. 

Pre-show crafts and coloring books occur 30 minutes prior to curtain times within the theater.

LOCATION:

UB Katharine Cornell Theatre
Ellicott Complex
University at Buffalo
North Campus
Directions: theatredance.buffalo.edu/kctdirections

TICKETS:

$10         Adult General Admission
$5           Students / Children / Seniors

Tickets are available at the door one hour prior to show. Campus Cash is accepted at the KCT Box Office.

General Information:

Cindy Guido
(716) 645-6897
cvguido@buffalo.edu

Media Inquiries:

Karen Dunn
(716) 645-6771
kdunn2@buffalo.edu

Group Sales: 

Mike Formato
(716) 645-0611
formato@buffalo.edu

www.theatredance.buffalo.edu