The folks at Town Hall Theater are prepping for a big, public, outdoor, Solstice celebration on December 21 in downtown Middlebury — and they’re inviting kids and adults to participate by making lanterns and puppets, and preparing a play, in a series of classes leading up to the big event.
The first classes start this weekend — and there are still openings! (Read about them all here)
Solstice Stories with Barbara Paulson (for grades K-3)
Three Saturdays, November 6, 13, 20, 9-10 a.m. $65
Learn about stories of light from around the world, dream up your own stories of light and hope, move your bodies around, and act out a story that Makes Theater Happen!
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Magic Lanterns with Claire Tebbs (for grades K through adult)
Saturday, November 6, 10:30 a.m.-noon. $20
Learn about the winter solstice and other celebrations of light from around the world. Build your own simple lantern and be ready to join in any community celebration with your own guiding light.
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Dragon Lantern Puppets with Barbara Paulson & Claire Tebbs (for ages 8 and up)
Saturdays, November 13 & 20, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., $40/one session; $60/two sessions
The British legend of St. George and the Dragon inspires us to make hybrid puppet lanterns to parade in the Solstice Celebration. ‘Planterns?’…’ Luppets?’ Whatever they are called, these magnificent creatures will glow from within to help us go forward into the L I G H T !
(A team of two people can make one lantern puppet together, at the fee for one person.)
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St. George and the Dragon with Lindsay Pontius (for grades 3-6)
Mondays, 3:30-5 p.m. November 8-December 20 (No class week of Nov. 22), $95
Here’s your chance to explore the ultimate super-heros and heroines as they battle the dragon and also consider the dragon’s point of view. This is a classic play that has been reinvented for centuries. We will work together as a company to develop the skills to take this theatrical story on the road, literally. It will be performed pageant style out of doors on Solstice, December 21st.