Press Release/for immediate release

From:  Barbara J. Beitel

Telephone: (609) 465-3963

The Rabbit’s the Thing for the Beatrix Potter “Bunny Hop” Tea on April 7th and East Lynne Actor, Mark Edward Lang, will portray Peter for the attendees while Alison J. Murphy will portray Beatrix Potter and Narrate Ms. Potter’s famous Tales of Bunnies and their Associates

Access to Art, Inc. will present the Beatrix Potter “Bunny Hop” Tea on Easter Saturday at l2 noon and again at l:45 p.m. at the Doctor’s Inn, 1 North Main St., Cape May Court House. It’s a lovely Victorian home, built prior to the Civil War with wonderful gardens for an Easter Egg Bunny Hop and Egg Hunt.

Mark Edward Lang, and his wife, Alison J. Murphy, Equity actors often seen performing in East Lynne performances will portray Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter.  Mark will do the voices, and Alison the narration.  “They just finished the Sherlock Holmes Weekend, in Cape May, and prior to that, the play “Why Marry?” a 1917 take on the war between the sexes in the area. It was quite popular, because they are both very droll, as are the other actors involved in the comedy which took a Pulitzer in l917.  They have also performed The New York Idea, the Dictator, and Voice of the City.  Mark directed the Eugene O’Neill play, “Alison has always loved whimsy, and has a collection of Peter Rabbit figurines, books, etc. and she and Mark enjoy reading children’s books  to each other, while Mark does the voices of the animals for amusement.  In between doing Shakespeare, and heavier roles, this provides them some light entertainment and a chance to exercise their silly bone.  I thought it would be fun to have them do this now, for our Beatrix Potter Bunny Hop Tea on Easter Saturday since they enjoy it anyway.”  said Barbara Beitel, Access to Art, Inc. Director.

“We like to stress literacy, and this is a great way to begin with small children dressed in their Easter finery coming out to enjoy the civility of an English tea, with the wonderful English tales dreamed up by Beatrix Potter, who, as a lonely child on an English estate, enjoyed drawing, and who owned two rabbits, the one Peter, and the other Benjamin.The rest is children’s history.”  Beitel said.  Lisa DiBruno, our co-chairman for the tea, will help the Inn select the food for the event.  She was in the catering business, sings, dances and teaches dance at Dance Dynamics, working also with St. Ann’s and Bishop McHugh to put on plays.  She studied dance in England.

“We plan a very elegant English tea,” with tea sandwiches, pastries, scones, hot chocolate for the little ones.  The Doctor’s Inn has some charming dining rooms, and they seat 88 people in three dining rooms.  We plan on having some strolling musicians during the lunch, perhaps a singer, or two.  Following the tea, the attendees will retire to the elegantly appointed Carriage House, where the readings will take place.  There, too, a dance teacher, Kelli Thompson, from Dance Dynamics, will have a dance vignette performed for the children to enjoy.  It all leads up to our spring dance event, this year featuring Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company on May l8th, who will create original choreography for us honoring our mentor, internationally known Philadelphia artist, Sam Maitin.

Following that, it’s out the the Garden, for the Bunny Hop, and the Bunny Hop will be followed by an Easter Egg Hunt.  We have some wonderful little Beatrix Potter books for children as prizes, and Beatrix potter rabbits, and chocolate rabbits, which will be prizes for the winners of the Easter Egg Hunt.