When the curtain rises Saturday afternoon, 25 local children will be transformed into toads, cats, rats, birds, spiders and more in the Wagon Wheel Theatre’s first-ever “junior” production. While the Wagon Wheel stage and the children’s imagination provide the magic, the transformation requires costumes and sets, which cost money. Last week Tri-Kappa Sorority donated $1,000 toward costumes and sets of “Tiny Thumbelina” on stage Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. “Tri-Kappa supports charity, culture and education in our community and this program is a perfect fit,” said Zoe Howard, member of Tri-Kappa. “This is fantastic because it has never been done before. There really is a need for our community to step up and support this theater.” The Wagon Wheel Theatre became a not-for-profit organization as of Jan. 1 and continues fundraising efforts. “We are in a critical stage of fundraising. This theater has meant so much to so many people over the years and we want that to continue,” said Will Dawson, director of operations. “Our vision for the Wagon Wheel is to continually raise the bar for excellence, education and community involvement. There is a real buzz around what’s going on here and I am excited that local organizations such as Tri-Kappa and many others have answered that call.” “They were so excited about their costumes,” said Howard. “These kids value this experience and we are just happy to be a small part of it.” Tickets for “Tiny Thumbelina” are on sale now by calling the Wagon Wheel Theatre box office at 574-267-8041 or online at the new website www.wagonwheeltheatre.org
