<font color='black' size='2' face='arial'><span style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">News release follows as text and is attached with three photos, courtesy of Mettawee River Theatre Co.Please contact me with any requests, </span><a href="mailto:patalamb@aol.com" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">patalamb@aol.com</a><span style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span>
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<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-right:-4.5pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">METTAWEE RIVER THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES OF<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-right:-4.5pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> ‘<i>THE DANCING FOX: WISDOM TALES OF THE MIDDLE
EAST’</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-right:-4.5pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></i></div>
<h2 style="margin-left:0in"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">SALEM, NY (July 17, 2014)<i>--</i></span></b><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">The Mettawee River Theatre Company has
announced upcoming touring dates for its 2014 production<b>, <i>THE DANCING FOX: Wisdom Tales
of the Middle East</i></b><i>. </i>These
performances include Gurney Lane Park in Queensbury, NY, July 19; the Methodist
Church lawn in Sandgate, VT, July 24 (rain date July 25); and the Georgi Museum
lawn in Shushan, NY, July 29. All these performances begin at 8 p.m. The entire
summer schedule is attached. <b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></h2>
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<div class="MsoNormal" align="left"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">THE DANCING FOX</span></i></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, a reprise of a 2003
Mettawee production, is gathered from the shared folk traditions of Jews and
Arabs, including the writings of Sufi mystics, along with fables and folklore
of the region. In these tales we encounter some clever foxes, dim-witted fish,
a vengeful snake and other colorful creatures, as well as a number of wise and
foolish humans. New perspectives emerge from the comic twists and tragic turns
of their adventures. A variety of masks, puppets and giant figures will be used
to flesh out the particular realm of each tale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">According to Mettawee Artistic
Director Ralph Lee, "<span style="background:white">Eleven years ago, when
asked what<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>THE DANCING FOX</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>was about, I would reply, ‘Folk
stories found in both the Jewish and Arab traditions.’ ‘Oh, how timely!’ was
often the response. Eleven years later, same question, same answer, and, ‘Oh,
how timely!’ Well, I guess our previous production didn’t change the course of
history in the Middle East, and it won’t this time, either, but the stories are
still rich with delicious humor, uncanny insights, and sharp barbs, ready to
jab you into painful laughter as they hit home<b>.”</b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">THE DANCING FOX</span></i></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> is written by Dave
Hunsaker, who was the playwright for Mettawee’s <b><i>THE NORTH WIND</i></b> in 1985, <b><i>PAPYRUS</i></b><i> </i>in 1986 and <b><i>THE HEROIC AND PATHETIC ESCAPADES
OF KARAGIOZIS</i></b><i> </i>in 2004. The
production’s score is by Neal Kirkwood, who has composed scores for Mettawee
productions since 2001. Veteran Mettawee performers Tanya Barfield, Rob McFadyen
and <span style="background:white">Jan-Peter Pedross</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; background: white;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">will be joined by Jon
Froehlich and Rachel Kodweis, <span style="background:white">with accordionist
JP Schlegelmilch</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:red;background:white">.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> The production is
directed and designed by Ralph Lee, with costumes by Casey Compton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">THE DANCING FOX </span></i></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">is recommended for
audience members eight years and older.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">About the Mettawee
Theatre Company</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Under the Artistic
Direction of mask maker, designer and director Ralph Lee, the Mettawee River
Theatre Company, founded in 1975, creates original theater productions that
incorporate masks, giant figures, puppets and other visual elements with live
music, movement and text, drawing on myths, legends and folklore of the world’s
many cultures for its material. The company is committed to bringing theater to
people who may have little or no access to live professional
performances. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In his design and
direction, Lee seeks to create vivid theatrical moments with economy and
elegance. This search for an evocative simplicity of image and Mettawee’s
commitment to making theater accessible to the widest possible audience through
its outdoor performances give this theater company its particular character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">About Ralph Lee</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ralph Lee first
created puppets as a child growing up in Middlebury, Vermont. He graduated from
Amherst College in 1957, and studied dance and theater in Europe for two years
on a Fulbright Scholarship. Upon returning to the United States, Lee acted on
Broadway, off-Broadway, in regional theaters and with the Open Theatre. During
that period he started creating masks, unusual props, puppets and
larger-than-life figures for theater and dance companies, including the New
York Shakespeare Festival, Lincoln Center Repertory Theatre, the Living
Theatre, the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, Shari Lewis, the Metropolitan Opera
and Saturday Night Live. <br>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br>
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<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In 1974, while
teaching at Bennington College, Lee staged his first outdoor production, which
took place all over the college campus, and featured giant puppets and masked
creatures. That same year he organized the first Greenwich Village Halloween
Parade, which he directed through 1985. For his work on the parade Lee received
a 1975 Village Voice OBIE Award, a 1985 Citation from the Municipal Arts
Society, and in 1993 he was inducted into the City Lore People's Hall of Fame. <br>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Two of Lee's Mettawee
productions have been honored with American Theatre Wing Design Awards: <i>The
Popol Vuh </i>in 1995 and <i>Wichikapache Goes Walking</i> in 1992. Under Lee's
direction, Mettawee also received a 1991 Village Voice OBIE Award and two
Citations for Excellence from UNIMA, the international puppetry organization.
Additional awards to Lee include a 1996 Dance Theatre Workshop Bessie Award for
“sustained achievement as a mask maker and theatre designer without equal,” and
a 1996 New York State Governor's Arts Award in recognition of his many
contributions to the artistic and cultural life of New York State. In
2003, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship, one of the nation’s most prestigious
honors. In 2008 Lee served as the Jim Henson Artist-in-Residence at the
University of Maryland at College Park. He is currently on the faculty of New
York University.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></div>
<div style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">For more information
about the Mettawee River Theatre Company, including a full schedule of this
summer’s outdoor tour, visit the company’s web site at <a href="http://www.mettaweerivertheatre.org/" target="_blank">www.mettawee.org</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-right:-4.5pt"><span style="font-size: 32pt; font-family: Garamond, serif;">Mettawee River Theatre
Company<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-right:-4.5pt;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">2014
Summer Performance Schedule<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-right:-4.5pt"><span style="font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Lucida Handwriting';">THE DANCING FOX<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-right:-4.5pt"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Handwriting';">Wisdom Tales of the Middle East<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-right:-4.5pt"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Medium', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<h2 style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:-4.3pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:
0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">July <o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<h2 style="margin-left:0in"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> 18 Franklin, NY Franklin Stage Company <o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> Franklin
Central School field 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">19 Queensbury, NY Gurney Lane Park 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> 20 Amherst, MA Ko Festival of Performance <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> College
Observatory lawn 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">23 </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">Essex, NY Beggs Point Park 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> </span></div>
<h1><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> 24 </span><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU">Sandgate,
VT Methodist
Church lawn 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU"> <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU">25 Sandgate, VT Rain Date 8:00 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU">26 Esperance, NY George Landis Arboretum 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU"> </span></div>
<h1><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">
*26 Salem, NY *Al Fresco Dinner Procession *Dusk</span><span style="font-family:
"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU"> <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU"> <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU">27 </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">Cummington, MA Pettingill Field, Main Street 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> 29 </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">Shushan, NY
Georgi Museum lawn 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> 31 Bolton Landing, NY Rogers Park 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> </span><span style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;
mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial">Aug. 1
Shelburne Falls, MA Buckland-Shelburne
School lawn 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> 2
Shrewsbury, VT Mountain
School lawn 7:30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> 3
Pittsfield, MA Springside Park 8:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:MingLiU;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
GungsuhChe"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
GungsuhChe">Please Note</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:GungsuhChe">:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:GungsuhChe">*Starred dates are special events; they do
not include performances of our play.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:GungsuhChe">To confirm specific locations, dates or
times, please give us a call at (518) 854-9357.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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