Travel back in time with the Maid Martha

The Alliance Arts Council will be sponsoring fun, mischief and the occasional hair-raising tale as the Cockney Maid Martha takes the stage in this unique family-oriented, entertaining and educating show. Nationally known performer, zany comedienne and author Martha Hannah will perform as Maid Martha, Medieval Comedienne & Stand-Up

Historian at the Alliance High School Performing Arts Center at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 18th.

The audience will become part of the Medieval fun and mischief as Martha Hannah works her magic. With her clever tales, jokes, songs and hilarious audience participation, Hannah, as the lively Maid Martha, makes the Middle Ages and Renaissance come alive! Hear the haunting tale of one of Henry VIII’s wives, who pleads, “No, Henry, no! You know I’m innocent!” This is a performance of the chilling historic story from Martha’s book, ‘The Ghost of Hampton Court’! The first of her ‘Maid Martha Tells It All’ series, it recounts Henry VIII’s marriage to the teenaged Catherine Howard and ends in a rather ghostly surprise! Martha will be signing copies of the book after the performance.

A driving force on stage, Martha Hannah’s high energy, deft wit and knowledge of the Medieval & Renaissance Ages captures the audience and reels them in.

Throughout Hannah’s twenty years of performing on many arts commissions’ touring rosters, her hilarity and charm have evoked such accolades as “I haven’t laughed that much in a long time! Please have her back again!”, “Absolutely wonderful and inspiring!” and “I had a blast!”

Currently, Martha is a performing artist on touring rosters for the Texas Commission on the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Community Foundation for Middle Tennessee and Mid-America Arts Alliance. She has appeared on stage, television, radio and film and in many commercials. As an avid arts-in-education advocate, Hannah has worked with many state and regional arts organizations as an artist-in-residence performing and teaching action packed, participation-based learning and workshops. She is also a member of the society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Writers League of Texas. For more information about Martha and her book, visit her website at http://www.marthahannah.com .

Ms. Hannah will be doing a week long in-school residency for Alliance 4th graders from January 14-18th. The residency students will join Martha on stage for a portion of her

Friday evening performance.

This presentation is supported in part by an award from Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Nebraska Arts Council and foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. Local business co-presenters are Gregory’s Insurance, First National Bank, Cover Jones Motor Company, Western Heritage Credit Union, Western Nebraska Real Estate, KCOW/Double Q Country Radio and Bank of the West.

Tickets for the Friday evening performance are $10 for Adults and $9 for Seniors and Students. Advance tickets may be purchased at Thiele Gifts and More and Carnegie Arts Center in Alliance and at The Ledger in Hemingford. Tickets will also be sold at the door.