COSTA MESA, Calif.—The tale of the naughty puppet hoping to become a real boy gets an infusion of music, clowning and fun when South Coast Repertory’s Theatre for Young Audiences series presents Pinocchio by Greg Banks, based on the classic story by Carlo Collodi. Pinocchio runs Feb. 5-21 on the Julianne Argyros Stage and is directed by Jeremy Aluma. Tickets are on sale at www.scr.org.

 Pinocchio will never be a “real boy” until he goes to school—and stays out of trouble. But, there are so many temptations along the way—who wouldn’t want to go to Playland where it’s Saturday all week long? In the end, Pinocchio learns about love and family—and what it means to be human.

 Jeremy Aluma is a multi award-winning theatre director and producer. He founded the international touring clown troupe, Four Clowns, and has served as artistic director for the past six years. At SCR, Aluma previously directed Robin Hood,part of the Theatre for Young Audiences series, and Four Clowns, part of the SCR Studio Series. For SCR’s production ofPinocchio, Aluma will be able to use his clowning background, along with his cast who also are members of his troupe.

 “I really liked the way Jeremy approached the challenges and pleasures of Robin Hood,” said Associate Artistic Director John Glore. “He knows this kind of theatre like the back of his hand. He and the cast will deliver a really enjoyable show for our audiences, one that will appeal to both kids and the grown-ups who accompany them.”

The cast for Pinocchio includes Tyler Bremer, Jennifer Carroll, Joe DeSoto, Dave Honigman and Kevin Klein.

The design and creative team includes Fred Kinney, scenic design; Leah Piehl, costume design; Francois-Pierre Couture, lighting design; Mark Caspary, sound design; Jackie S. Hill, production manager; Joanne DeNaut, CSA, casting; and Talia Krispel, stage manager.  Taken from press release