Folktales On A Stage Near You!
The intersection between folklore
and theatre is one of the most interesting contemporary doorways for ‘oral retelling’
of traditional stories. We think live stage performance is by far more
compelling – and more exciting and magical -than big silver screen movies with all
their razzle dazzle effects.
That’s why we were excited to learn
about this multicultural folktale theatre. Activated Story Theatre puts folktales
on stage in a dramatic as well as educational way that is designed to support
folklore literature.
This national touring theater for young
audiences brings favorite folktales to life. Professional performers with witty
scripts, costumes, imaginative props, sing, dance and play (American Sign
Language included) out familiar and unfamiliar tales against the backdrop of a giant,
oversized book.
What’s extraordinary is that the
theatre has put the tales together in educational formats that are ideal for
young students. The formats include study guides and podcasts so that teachers can
‘extend’ the life of the folktales that are presented.
Examples
Here are a few of the folktales:
The Tortoise and the Hare
From Aesop’s Fables, this timeless
tale pits the brash, obnoxious hare against the patient, dedicated tortoise in
a race that will give the tortoise the chance to win the respect of the hare
and his fellow hares who are always harassing the tortoises. Does he succeed?
The Gingerbread Man
From Great Britain comes this
cumulative fable about a gingerbread man that decides he’d rather run away than
stay with the kindly old woman who baked him. His crusty adventure has him
eluding a series of animal pursuers who want to devour him, taunting each of
them in turn with his rhyming boast about how up to speed he is.
The stage can be almost anywhere,
too. School assemblies, after-school programs, library reading programs, museums, etc. To learn more click here.
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