OWEN MANNION IS AT THE MEDIA THEATRE IN 'INTO THE WOODS' BEFORE HEADING TO MANHATTANVILLE

Local actor Owen Mannion, 18, of Broomall, is headed to Manhattanville College this fall. But first, he's performing in "Into The Woods" at The Media Theatre each weekend in July as The Wolf and Cinderella's Prince.

"My major at Manhattanville will be theatre," Owen said. "My goal is to gain an understanding of professional theatre, while networking in New York."

Owen believes that studying at The Media Theatre truly prepared him for the future. "The professional acting lessons and classes I was a part of with Jesse Cline truly have prepared me," he said. "Also having a strict schedule of extra curricular activities in high school helped a lot, too."

Owen Mannion

He's been seen at The Media Theatre in over two dozen productions. "Actually, "Into The Woods" is my 25th show here! Seven of the shows were a part of the Broadway Series professional productions," he explained. "Last summer I had the opportunity to be Dewey in the regional premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "School Of Rock" musical."

Owen has strong feelings about "Into The Woods" and says, "It's an example of how fairy tales can be made completely different through an American lens. Sondheim took simple characters and plots, breathing new life and depth into them. It gives audiences a chance to see fairy-tales as a somewhat realistic state of emotion and interaction. It's got a sophisticated score, and raised the bar for Broadway upon its premiere, eventually winning the Tony Awards for Best Book plus Best Score."

"Into The Woods" is presented as a teen summer camp production at The Media Theatre. Owen Mannion, upon his final summer as a 'student camper', says "Audiences will be surprised with the level of professionalism on the stage."

For tickets to "Into The Woods", call The Media Theatre at 610-891-0100 or visit mediatheatre.org