Franklin Theatre Works    |   home Our Mission     |   About our Director   |   Cinderella   |   SWEENEY TODD      |   Classes / Workshops   |   Registration   |   Employment Opportunities   |   Contact Us   |   DIRECTIONS   |   Photo Albums   |   Hunterdon Vocal Workshop  Concert Series     |   Past Performances   |   OUR Community   |   Internships   |   Volunteer Calendar   |   Local Events           |   Rehearsal   |   My Photos   |   Join us on Facebook About our Director Franklin Theatre Works - Classic Youth Theatre      At Franklin Theatre Works the best plays start with a good book. If you are looking for High School Musical, look elsewhere. Literary classics are the inspiration for Franklin Theatre Works. This season's productions include O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl, Margery Williams's The Velveteen Rabbit, Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden.      Franklin Theatre Works is a non-profit program open to all kindergarten through high school students in Hunterdon and the surrounding counties of  Somerset and Warren . Executive Director Maeve Pambianchi says her goal is to help children develop an ease of performance both on and off the stage, improving personal skills, self-confidence and obtaining a deeper understanding of others. She explains, “I find a joy in watching children develop and expand. Begin with children if you want to make an impact on the world.”  Franklin Theatre Works has a performance arm called The Ensemble Theatre of New Jersey, which consists of high school, college and adult actors. Their performances are held at North Hunterdon High School in Annandale, while the younger actors perform at  Franklin Township School in Quakertown. The company currently consists of about 130 students who receive training in theatre arts.including  the technical aspect of  running the sound and lighting boards.      Since founding the group in 2003, Ms. Pambianchi has directed hundreds of students  in 37 full-scale dramas, comedies and musicals. Past productions have included Peter Pan, Little Women, Treasure Island, Oliver!, Hamlet, Scrooge, the Musical!, The Emperor's New Clothes, Homer's Odyssey and Jane Eyre. Ms. Pambianchi has worked professionally as an actor, singer and dancer, and was a long-time student of  Obie Award and Drama Desk winning director and acting teacher Gene Frankel, who was one of the earliest members of the Actors' Studio. She lived and worked in Paris for six years, and upon retuning to America founded the Lambertville Cultural Center. After working off-Broadway and touring with regional theatre companies she settled in Hunterdon County and founded Franklin Theatre Works. 2009  Award     Enhancing Hunterdon County Culture     http://search.nj.com/Maeve+Pambianchi 2007 Award