Love is magic in The Story of Velveteen Rabbit at Shoestring

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Love is magic in The Story of Velveteen Rabbit at Shoestring
PHOTOS BY ANNE SOLLIEN<br> ANDREA AND HER FAVORITE TOYS — Andrea and her two favorite toys in the nursery, the Velveteen Rabbit and Banana Dog. These actors are Hannah Patterson, Shelby Patterson and Penelope Hagstrom

BY ELI ALEXANDER AND LORI LEMOINE

Perhaps you remember The Story of Velveteen Rabbit (or How Toys Become Real) from your childhood or from sharing the tale at bedtime with a child you love. Margery Williams Bianco’s classic children’s book has sparked imagination since its original publication in Harper’s Bazaar in 1921. It has never gone out of print since first published in 1922.

This June, Shoestring Theatre in Lake Helen will bring The Story of Velveteen Rabbit to life on stage for their annual youth summer production.

“What is real?” The question is big enough to overwhelm a small sawdust-filled rabbit. Yet, through a child’s imagination and love, as well as the friendship of the Old Skin Horse, the little rabbit discovers what it means to be real.

The Velveteen Rabbit (portrayed by Hannah Patterson) resides in Andrea’s nursery with the classic toys: the Skin Horse (Wes McIntyre), Timothy Lion (Dylan Patterson), Model Boat (Zachary Forestierre) and Model Train (Griffin Williams). In all, 21 local young actors help to bring the classic story to life.

MAGIC FAIRY AND THE TOYS — Below, the Magic Fairy loves to play with the toys. From left are Giella Hagstrom, Alma Sanchez-Talavera, Micah Swinnie, Abby Bumbalough, Penelope Hagstrom, Zachary Forestierre, Hannah Patterson and Dylan Patterson.

From songs with the wild rabbits (Alma Sanchez-Talavera, Lilliana Darrow and Alana Fawcett) to mischief with the other toys in the nursery (Penelope Hagstrom, Adelyn Baumgardner, Lily Williams, Micah Swinnie, Natalie Williams and Abby Bumbalough), Andrea (Shelby Patterson) and the rest of the cast are sure to delight audiences of all ages.

The show opens Friday, June 21, and runs for two weekends through Sunday, June 30. Tickets are on sale now at shoestringtheatre.net, or patrons can call the box office at 386-228-3777.

Join us for a fun rendition of this classic tale, and help us share The Story of Velveteen Rabbit with the next generation!

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