Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre to Present “WHEN ANIMALS WERE PEOPLE”
Sponsored by the Storytelling Guild and Britt Festivals
SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 2012, Britt Stadium, Jacksonville, Oregon, 3:30 PM
FREE ADMISSION: Donation of a new or gently used children’s book for local outreach programs.
On Saturday, June 9, Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre will present “When Animals Were People” at Britt. Folktales from Mexico and Argentina are brought to life in this dynamic new bilingual play. When Animals Were People is the story of Turtle who is cooking a stew to share with Grandfather Vulture. Squirrel is about to join them when Wolf arrives, hungry for Turtle as well as stew. But without Turtle there is no water. Wise, old Vulture instructs Wolf in how to bring back both Turtle and the water. This story is paired with The Lazy Bee, an Argentine fable about doing your share. “The Lazy Bee” is a shorter piece based on a story by Argentinian Horacio Quiroga, the hourlong performance is primarily in English but incorporates simple Spanish words and phrases.
It’s a fun way to familiarize children with another language, and give them a brief cultural immersion. The event is an homage to Mexican art and folk lore. Besides the performance, it includes an exhibit of colorfully painted animals from Oaxaca and Huichol yarn drawings displayed in the lobby. Gerardo Calderon has composed indigenous-style music for the show using flute and drum.
The Storytelling Guild is partnering with Britt Festivals to bring this free, hour-long performance to children in our community. Children are asked to bring a new or gently used book donation to this event. These books are distributed within our community through the ‘Pass the Book’ program. Last year the Storytelling Guild distributed over 10,000 books to local agencies in Jackson County.
Tears of Joy Theatre is recognized as one of the nation’s outstanding puppet theatres, known internationally for its innovation and excellence. Each year the programs of the theatre serve over 200,000 children and adults. Tears of Joy Theatre has received a Washington State Governor’s Arts Award and a Young Audiences Sunburst Award for its “exemplary commitment to arts in education.” Four of the theatre’s productions have received American puppetry’s highest honor, The Citation of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from UNIMA-USA.
To learn more please visit www.storytellingguild.org or join the Storytelling Guild at www.facebook.com/storytellingguild.