Wayne State University Introduces Detroit Public Schools Students to Live Theatre With Free Performance Of THE STINKY CHEESE MAN

The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, part of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at Wayne State University, continues its yearly community outreach efforts with a free touring production of "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales," written by John Glore and based on the beloved children's book written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith.

Each spring, the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance devotes itself to providing thousands of Detroit children with free performances of children's theatre productions in their schools.

"It's critical to our mission that theatre is the right of all children," says department chair, John Wolf. "We firmly believe that children are enriched through the attendance and participation in the performing arts. A wonderful study by UCLA's Graduate School of Education showed that students who are exposed to the arts are far more likely to get involved in their community and more likely to graduate. They become better students and better people by learning about the human condition."

"The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" may sound like pure entertainment, but the stories within teach students about conflict resolution, individuality, right and wrong, and more.

Based on the book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith and written by John Glore, "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" is a whimsical adventure directed by Jill Dion. Though the characters may be familiar, each of your favorite storybook fables is uproariously derailed in this adaptation of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's quintessential children's book of fractured fairy tales. Everything from "Chicken Little" to "The Gingerbread Man" gets a complete makeover. Fun music and witty narration accompany the likes of ineloquent giants, sassy barnyard animals, colossal cow pies, and enough stinky cheese to go around.

Touring performance are free to Detroit Public Community Schools and may be booked by visiting www.theatreanddanceatwayne.com/childrenstheatre or by calling our Group Sales Manager at 313-577-0852.

A public performance will take place at the Hilberry Theatre (4743 Cass Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201) on the Wayne State University campus on Saturday, June 23 at 11 a.m. Tickets to the public performance are $5 for children and $8 for adults. Group tickets are available to parties of 10 or more for $5 each. Tickets may be purchased online at www.theatreanddanceatwayne.com/stinkycheeseman or by calling the box office at 313-577-2972. Additional fee of $2 per ticket and $4 per order apply when purchasing tickets online. The Box Office is located in the lobby of the Hilberry Theatre and is open Tuesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

About Wayne State University

Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit http://research.wayne.edu/