Gamm Stages First Play For Young Audiences In Warwick

The Gamm Education Department is pleased to present Charlie Bumpers vs. the Really Nice Gnome by Bill Harley, adapted and directed by Jessica Chace. Last season, a successful limited run of Charlie Bumpers vs. the Teacher of the Year launched Gamm Education Presents, the theater's first programming for young audiences. This second Gamm-Harley collaboration promises even more fun for the entire family in The Gamm's new, larger Warwick venue.

Charlie Bumpers vs. the Really Nice Gnome, adapted from the award-winning book, runs from October 8-21 at The Gamm Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, RI.Tickets are $10 for kids and $15 for adults. Tickets for groups of 10 or more are all $10. Seating is general admission. Call 401-723-4266 or order online at gammtheatre.org.

An additional performance on Friday, October 12 at 6 pm at Lincoln School in Providence will help kick off this year's Rhode Island Festival of Children's Book and Authors. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at lincolnschool.org."Gamm Education Presents allowed us to reach young people in a delightful and powerful way last season in Pawtucket," said Gamm Education Director Susie Schutt. "We are excited to bring Charlie Bumpers and the magic of theater through literature to an expanded audience from our location in the center of the state."

Adult actors play a variety of roles in Charlie Bumpers vs. the Really Nice Gnome -- a hilarious and moving story about a kid's everyday experiences navigating the world."I'm especially delighted that The Gamm has chosen Charlie Bumpers vs. the Really Nice Gnome for their newest family production," said Harley, a local Grammy Award-winning children's ­­­­­­entertainer, story-teller and author. "If you've been in a play, you know how things are bound to go wrong, and that pulling together is how to make it right. Charlie and his pals learn that lesson. I can't wait to see the great Gamm cast act out the play within the play and the mayhem that occurs."

Charlie Bumpers has his heart set on playing the role of the Evil Sorcerer in the 4th-grade play. But his dreams of villainous stardom go up in smoke when he finds out that Mrs. Burke has cast him as the Nice Gnome! Determined to rectify this terrible injustice, Charlie comes up with one plan after another, but nothing seems to work. To make matters worse, his dad has assigned him the chore of walking Ginger-the diggiest, sniffiest, and poopiest dog in the universe. Can Charlie deal with these challenges without causing havoc all around him?

Founded in 1984, the non-profit Gamm Theatre creates the finest of live theater, engaging the audience intensely in the most salient issues of our time and all time. The Gamm further serves the public with educational outreach programming designed to support the theatrical experience, and help sustain and enhance the intellectual and cultural life of its community. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Tony Estrella and Managing Director Oliver Dow, The Gamm is a regionally recognized, award-winning theater and a proud member of New England Area Theatre (NEAT), a bargaining unit of the Actors' Equity Association.