Classic Fairy Tale 'The Snow Queen' Comes to Life at UH

Stage Adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen Story Performed Nov. 30 - Dec. 8

Audiences of all ages soon will enter the frosty world of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.” The classic fantasy story comes to life at the University of Houston as part of the Theatre for Young Audiences series.

Directed by Jon L. Egging, “The Snow Queen” follows the adventures of children Cei and Gerda. When Cei is held captive by the Snow Queen, Gerda embarks on a quest to rescue him. Along the way, she encounters a number of characters including the queens for each season who prepare her for a showdown with the wintry witch, the Snow Queen.

“The Snow Queen” will be performed in UH’s Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre (Entrance 16 off Cullen Blvd.). Performance dates and times are as follows.:

  • 2 p.m., Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 2, 7 and 8
  • 7 p.m., Nov. 30, Dec. 1
  • 10 a.m., Nov. 30, Dec. 7

Tickets are $20, $15 for faculty, staff and, alumni and $10 for students. For more details on performances and tickets, call 713-743-2929 or visit the School of Theatre & Dance’s website.

“It’s very much a fairy tale brought to the stage,” Egging said. “There’s a lot of magic and some really beautiful music that will be performed live.”

As part of UH’s Theater for Young Audiences series, “The Snow Queen” performances will be delivered for Houston-area schools and the public. A study guide is available for educators, so they can create projects or assignments based on the play.

Families attending the Dec. 1 performances can attend UH’s free “Holi-DAY” from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Wortham Theatre. “Holi-DAY” will feature holiday sing-a-longs, cookies, photos with Santa Claus and other activities.

At each performance, the School of Theatre & Dance will accept canned items as part of its holiday food drive benefitting the Houston Food Bank.

The UH School of Theatre and Dance produces professional plays, dance concerts, studio productions, a new play festival and school shows through the Theatre for Young Audiences program. The school performs in the Wortham Theatre and the Quintero Theatre. The Houston Shakespeare Festival is a professional project of the school, which is produced each summer at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The UH School of Theatre & Dance offers bachelor’s and master's degrees in theater and teacher certifications in dance and theatre. Its graduate program consists of a Master of Arts in theatre and Master of Fine Arts in theatre with specializations in acting, directing and design. Faculty includes Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee, Tony Award-winning playwright Mark Medoff, Tony Award-winning producer Stuart Ostrow and Tony-nominated designer Kevin Rigdon. Among the greats who have taught at the school in previous years are Lanford Wilson, Sir Peter Hall and Jose Quintero. For details on UH's School of Theatre & Dance, visit www.theatredance.uh.edu.