[Capdist-announce] METTAWEE RIVER THEATRE CO.: UPCOMING PERFORMANCES OF 'THE DANCING FOX'
patalamb at aol.com
patalamb at aol.com
Thu Jul 17 20:04:04 EDT 2014
News release follows as text and is attached with three photos, courtesy of Mettawee River Theatre Co.Please contact me with any requests, patalamb at aol.com.
METTAWEE RIVER THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCESUPCOMING PERFORMANCES OF
‘THE DANCING FOX: WISDOM TALES OF THE MIDDLEEAST’
SALEM, NY (July 17, 2014)--The Mettawee River Theatre Company hasannounced upcoming touring dates for its 2014 production, THE DANCING FOX: Wisdom Talesof the Middle East. Theseperformances include Gurney Lane Park in Queensbury, NY, July 19; the MethodistChurch lawn in Sandgate, VT, July 24 (rain date July 25); and the Georgi Museumlawn in Shushan, NY, July 29. All these performances begin at 8 p.m. The entiresummer schedule is attached.
THE DANCING FOX, a reprise of a 2003Mettawee production, is gathered from the shared folk traditions of Jews andArabs, including the writings of Sufi mystics, along with fables and folkloreof 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 andfoolish humans. New perspectives emerge from the comic twists and tragic turnsof their adventures. A variety of masks, puppets and giant figures will be usedto flesh out the particular realm of each tale.
According to Mettawee ArtisticDirector Ralph Lee, "Eleven years ago, whenasked what THE DANCING FOX was about, I would reply, ‘Folkstories found in both the Jewish and Arab traditions.’ ‘Oh, how timely!’ wasoften the response. Eleven years later, same question, same answer, and, ‘Oh,how timely!’ Well, I guess our previous production didn’t change the course ofhistory in the Middle East, and it won’t this time, either, but the stories arestill rich with delicious humor, uncanny insights, and sharp barbs, ready tojab you into painful laughter as they hit home.”
THE DANCING FOX is written by DaveHunsaker, who was the playwright for Mettawee’s THE NORTH WIND in 1985, PAPYRUS in 1986 and THE HEROIC AND PATHETIC ESCAPADESOF KARAGIOZIS in 2004. Theproduction’s score is by Neal Kirkwood, who has composed scores for Mettaweeproductions since 2001. Veteran Mettawee performers Tanya Barfield, Rob McFadyenand Jan-Peter Pedross will be joined by JonFroehlich and Rachel Kodweis, with accordionistJP Schlegelmilch. The production isdirected and designed by Ralph Lee, with costumes by Casey Compton.
THE DANCING FOX is recommended foraudience members eight years and older.
About the MettaweeTheatre Company
Under the ArtisticDirection of mask maker, designer and director Ralph Lee, the Mettawee RiverTheatre Company, founded in 1975, creates original theater productions thatincorporate masks, giant figures, puppets and other visual elements with livemusic, movement and text, drawing on myths, legends and folklore of the world’smany cultures for its material. The company is committed to bringing theater topeople who may have little or no access to live professionalperformances.
In his design anddirection, Lee seeks to create vivid theatrical moments with economy andelegance. This search for an evocative simplicity of image and Mettawee’scommitment to making theater accessible to the widest possible audience throughits outdoor performances give this theater company its particular character.
About Ralph Lee
Ralph Lee firstcreated puppets as a child growing up in Middlebury, Vermont. He graduated fromAmherst College in 1957, and studied dance and theater in Europe for two yearson a Fulbright Scholarship. Upon returning to the United States, Lee acted onBroadway, off-Broadway, in regional theaters and with the Open Theatre. Duringthat period he started creating masks, unusual props, puppets andlarger-than-life figures for theater and dance companies, including the NewYork Shakespeare Festival, Lincoln Center Repertory Theatre, the LivingTheatre, the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, Shari Lewis, the Metropolitan Operaand Saturday Night Live.
In 1974, whileteaching at Bennington College, Lee staged his first outdoor production, whichtook place all over the college campus, and featured giant puppets and maskedcreatures. That same year he organized the first Greenwich Village HalloweenParade, which he directed through 1985. For his work on the parade Lee receiveda 1975 Village Voice OBIE Award, a 1985 Citation from the Municipal ArtsSociety, and in 1993 he was inducted into the City Lore People's Hall of Fame.
Two of Lee's Mettaweeproductions have been honored with American Theatre Wing Design Awards: ThePopol Vuh in 1995 and Wichikapache Goes Walking in 1992. Under Lee'sdirection, Mettawee also received a 1991 Village Voice OBIE Award and twoCitations 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,” anda 1996 New York State Governor's Arts Award in recognition of his manycontributions to the artistic and cultural life of New York State. In2003, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship, one of the nation’s most prestigioushonors. In 2008 Lee served as the Jim Henson Artist-in-Residence at theUniversity of Maryland at College Park. He is currently on the faculty of NewYork University.
For more informationabout the Mettawee River Theatre Company, including a full schedule of thissummer’s outdoor tour, visit the company’s web site at www.mettawee.org.
Mettawee River TheatreCompany
2014Summer Performance Schedule
THE DANCING FOX
Wisdom Tales of the Middle East
July
18 Franklin, NY Franklin Stage Company
FranklinCentral School field 8:00
19 Queensbury, NY Gurney Lane Park 8:00
20 Amherst, MA Ko Festival of Performance
CollegeObservatory lawn 8:00
23 Essex, NY Beggs Point Park 8:00
24 Sandgate,VT MethodistChurch lawn 8:00
25 Sandgate, VT Rain Date 8:00
26 Esperance, NY George Landis Arboretum 8:00
*26 Salem, NY *Al Fresco Dinner Procession *Dusk
27 Cummington, MA Pettingill Field, Main Street 8:00
29 Shushan, NY Georgi Museum lawn 8:00
31 Bolton Landing, NY Rogers Park 8:00
Aug. 1 Shelburne Falls, MA Buckland-ShelburneSchool lawn 8:00
2 Shrewsbury, VT MountainSchool lawn 7:30
3 Pittsfield, MA Springside Park 8:00
Please Note:
*Starred dates are special events; they donot include performances of our play.
To confirm specific locations, dates ortimes, please give us a call at (518) 854-9357.
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