We’ve all heard the story: the big, bad wolf gobbles up all the little piggies, Red Riding Hood, and her granny, too. He’s always the bad guy, end of story. Or is it?

What would happen if the wolf changed his ways?

York College Traveling Children’s Theatre explores that idea in their 2017 show Once Upon a Wolf. Written by Steph DeFerie, this hilarious fractured fairytale mash-up finds Old Granny Stinky Feet struggling to tell the kiddies in the audience some stories when her standby villain refuses to play his assigned part. The wolf instead goes on a journey of self discovery as he seeks to become a hero. Being the good guy isn’t as easy as you might think! It’s an entertaining story with a great moral

The nine-member cast will bring Once Upon a Wolf to hundreds of elementary students as they travel in a 50-mile radius of York to perform at schools, libraries and community centers.

Not an elementary student? Don’t despair! There will be public performances of Once Upon a Wolf on Friday, April 7 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 15 at 10:30 a.m. Both of these performances will be held in the Bartholomew Performing Arts Center at York College. No tickets or reservations are necessary to attend. This show is appropriate for all ages.

Each spring, the York College Traveling Children’s Theatre performs 30 times or more, presenting their show free of charge for children throughout the area. The show is directed by John I Baker III, associate professor of communication, who began the Traveling Children’s Theatre program in 1997. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the program and the 21st production.

The cast of Once Upon a Wolf includes Aubrey Tate as Granny and Troy Rowen as the Wolf. Hannah Anderson, Sami Berry, Nathan Clark, Deidre Freitas, Fallon Grady, Ryan Harrison, and Olivia Nabb complete the ensemble, each taking multiple roles.