Winnie the Pooh Comes to LBCC: Children’s Theater 43rd Annual Production

LBCC’s drama program is putting on their 43rd annual children’s theater production of “Winnie the Pooh.”

“Winnie the Pooh” premieres Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. in the Russell Tripp performance center in Takena Hall. It’s estimated that four to seven thousand people and children will come in to watch the show. Over the past 43 years, it is estimated to have brought in about 260,000 people to see the shows.

“You’ll see buses in line, hundreds and hundreds of kids lined up out here for this,” said Dan Stone, the drama advisor.   

The play has about 17 LBCC students working and performing in it.

The play follows the original plot of the “Winnie the Pooh” book series written by English author A.A. Milne. Filled with the forest characters which make up the familiar and fantastical world of the Hundred Acre Wood, “Winnie the Pooh” highlights the adventures of young boy Christopher Robin and his stuffed bear, Pooh, who has come to life and is hungry for honey. The cast includes the gloomy donkey Eeyore, wise Owl, Rabbit, Piglet, Kenga and Roo.

The drama program has seen plenty of students through the years, and the Children’s Production is loved in the community.

“I have students doing awesome things that have graduated from here with theater degrees,” said Stone.

The cast has been working on this since the first Tuesday of Winter term, however they picked “Winnie the Pooh” last year. There is talk about possibly doing a showing of “James and the Giant Peach” either next year or the year after.

You can buy tickets online at linnbenton.edu/tickets. $8 for adults and $6 for 17 and under. They will be performing for three Saturdays, Feb. 4, 11 and 18 at 2 p.m.

Story by Erin Ritchie

Photos by Elliot Pond