Pippin, a mid-life crisis

PIPPIN; a mid-life crisis, directed by Richard Hitchler, with choreography by Sandy Agustin, and musical direction by Jill Cronk Schendel. 

As told by an ensemble of actors, PIPPIN is the fantastical story of a prince, who is searching for his purpose in life and his own “corner of the sky”. Encouraged by the Leading Player, Pippin dabbles in bloody battle, licentious entanglements, and savvy political maneuvers, only to discover that true happiness is more complicated than it appears. With infectious music by Stephen Schwartz and classic choreography from Bob Fosse, PIPPIN is both a humorous allegory and a dark tale of false appearances and empty promises.

Typically performed by angsty 20-something’s trying to find their way in the world, Theatre 55 is taking a different approach; a mid-life crisis. “After a certain age (roughly 50), we all go through this period of questioning - “What am I going to do with my life now?” “, says Richard Hitchler, founder and director. “This is an even more important question as we enter the second half of our lives. And we’re exploring what it means for people who have achieved a certain amount of prestige in the lives, but want to find true meaning and leave a legacy before they move on.” adds Hitchler.

About Theatre 55

Theatre 55 was formed with the purpose of developing lifelong learning through theatre performance and education. Our vision is to enrich the lives of elders as artists, audiences, and learners through educational performance art. Theatre 55 is currently fiscally sponsored through Springboard for the Arts and runs in part through the generous grants from the Minnesota Regional Arts Council and the Aroha Foundation. Theatre 55 aims to produce more high-energy, impactful plays and utilizing the senior artists of our community. We strive to engage with vibrant seniors living throughout the Twin Cities and beyond through classes, workshops, showcases, and performance.