THEATRE

Underground Railway Theater presents How Do You Spell Hope?, a theatrical experience for the whole family based on true stories of people who overcame great obstacles to learn to read, playing at the Central Square Theater Friday, February 13 through Sunday, March 1. Written by Melinda Lopez and directed by Underground Railway Theater Artistic Director Debra Wise, How Do You Spell Hope? tells the stories of the road to literacy for a Cambridge high school athlete with severe dyslexia, Frederick Douglass, and a Latina immigrant who learns to read English - all woven together by puppets and actors in a world of giant pop-up books. The cast features award winning Boston area actors Vincent E. Siders and Ramona Alexander, as well as puppeteer Penny Benson. There will be conversations with special guest authors, the playwright, and the actors following select performances (see list below). The special guest authors include Gregory Maguire, who wrote "Wicked," the inspiration for the blockbuster Broadway musical of the same name - a show that is now playing in nine cities across the globe. His recent books have all been New York Times bestsellers: "Son of a Witch" and "A Lion Among Men," volumes 2 and 3 in the "Wicked Years," and "What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy." Other authors include Chris Abouzeid ("Anatopsis"), Kathryn Lasky ("The War of the Ember," "The Guardians of Ga'Hoole," "One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin"), and Anita Silvey ("I'll Pass for Your Comrade - Women Soldiers in the Civil War," "100 Best Books for Children" & "500 Great Books for Teens").