Great Gilly!

The Theatre of Youth's production of "The Great Gilly Hopkins" features Anne Roaldi as Gilly Hopkins and Rosalind Cramer as Maime Trotter.

She's a rebel with a cause: Finding her mother. At 11, Gilly Hopkins is nobody's real kid and no ordinary foster child. If only she could find her beautiful "flower child" mother and live with her instead of in the ugly foster home where she has just been placed.

The Theatre of Youth presents Gilly's story in "The Great Gilly Hopkins," by David Paterson and Steve Liebman, Friday, March 14, through Sunday, April 6 at the Allendale Theatre, 203 Allen St., Buffalo.

How could she, The Great Gilly Hopkins, known throughout the country for her brilliance, unmanageability and ruthless stunts, be expected to tolerate her new guardian? Or for that matter, the "freaky" 7-year-old boy and the blind African-American man who are also considered part of the bizarre "family"? When Gilly finally accepts the loving home that surrounds her, she learns that her real future is brighter than her imaginary one.

Adapted from the National Book Award-Winning novel by Katherine Paterson, director Meg Quinn's cast includes Anne Roaldi, Rosalind Cramer, Henry Wojtasik, Alton Bowens, Tim Newell, Joyce Carolyn, Kaila-Rose Proulx, Dana Block and Lisa DelVecchio.

The production opens at 7 p.m. Friday, March 14 and continues at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, March 15, 29, 30, April 5 and 6 and 7 p.m. Friday, April 4. There are no performances on March 16, 22 or 23.

Tickets are $19 or $17 per person and can be purchased by calling the Theatre of Youth box office at 884-4400, Ext. 304. Group rates are available.