J*Company stages ‘Hansel and Gretel’
The J*Company Youth Theatre is performing the musical “The Story of Hansel and Gretel” from May 11 to 20 at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center’s Dorothea Garfield Theatre. Joey Landwehr will direct this production of the classic fairytale “Hansel and Gretel” with Susan Lavoie providing musical direction.
Based on a book written by Vera Morris, this musical production will feature lyrics by Bill Francour and a cast of students ages 7 to 13 from across San Diego County. The J*Company Youth Theatre, a program offered through the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the JCC, tries to annually hold a production that focuses on this young but talented age group, in addition to its two annual productions featuring high school-aged actors.
The JCC’s Dorothea Garfield Theatre is located at 4126 Executive Drive. Tickets for the production are $16.50 and can be purchased by calling (858) 362-1348 or visiting the Web site, www.lfjcc.org/jcompany.

Old Globe boosts reading, writing
The Old Globe Theatre is collaborating with approximately 25 schools around the county to bring students the second annual Globe Readers Project. The yearlong program sends 24 volunteers to read to elementary and middle school students in San Diego County. The literacy program aims to encourage children to read and eventually write their own stories, said Roberta Wells-Famula, director of education for the Old Globe.
The volunteers visit each school three or four times throughout the year to read to students. Between visits, the students are asked to write their own short stories with the help of their teachers.
All stories written by the children are collected, bound and printed. At the end of the program, the volume is given back to the students to enjoy their work in a hardcover book format, Wells-Famula said.
The project culminates with professionally trained teaching artists who work with students to create short plays from the stories students write, she said.
“To watch children who might not be eager readers suddenly look at this thing in a whole new way and see reading as much more exciting than they had thought it was, it’s just wonderful,” Wells-Famula said.
Organizers said the public can help the literacy program by donating new children’s books presented at participating school libraries. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the Old Globe.
The program is offered in English, Spanish and French. For more information, call (619) 231-1941.