New Audiences Awake to ‘Rip Van Winkle’
Johnson County Community College |
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Bits 'N Pieces Puppet Theatre presents its original musical adaptation of Washington Irving's American folktale, Rip Van Winkle , at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, in Yardley Hall of the Carlsen Center, Johnson County Community College. Children who participate in the puppet workshop from noon-1:30 p.m. that day in the Carlsen Center will display their creations in a pre-show parade. The audience will see the children walk across stage projected on a big screen.
Bits ’N Pieces’ unique 9-feet-tall giant body puppets take Irving's great adventure to new heights. Actress and puppet builder Holli Rubin and company sing and dance, taking on the roles of five giant body puppets, traditional puppets and eight costumed characters. Sleepy Rip Van Winkle is joined on stage by his sweet daughter Sarah, his faithful huntin' dog Wolfie, Dame Van Winkle, Pirate and his Pegleg Parrot, Soldier Boy Harry, and Captain Henry Hudson and his crew, who are bowling atop the Catskills Mountains.
The puppets and people, music and dance bring a new perspective to the classic story set in the times before and after the American Revolution. While some men work for a better tomorrow, Rip Van Winkle is easily distracted by the lure of having fun today. After his adventures in the Catskill Mountains, he settles down under a shady tree and falls asleep for 20 years. He learns a difficult lesson that by sleeping his life away, his dreams slip away too. His little girl has grown up, and life has passed him by. Rip realizes that one has to work hard in life to make good things come true.
Bits ’N Pieces Theatre has been creating original musical productions adapted from classic children’s literature for 25 years. From script and design to actual building and choreography, it takes two years to produce one complete giant puppet production.
With these giant puppets and fanciful story, even adults feel “child-sized” again. And every age learns not to let time pass; the time is now to realize one’s dreams. Tickets for Bits ’N Pieces Theatre are $10 adult, $7 youth (12 and under), available by calling the Carlsen Center box office, 913-469-4445, or online at www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter.
As part of the Carlsen Center Arts Education program, Bits 'N Pieces Puppet Theatre presents one-hour school shows of Rip Van Winkle for grades PreK-3 at 9:45 a.m. and noon in Yardley Hall. Tickets are $5. Bits ’N Pieces will offer a teacher workshop, Creative Dramatics, available for graduate credit Oct. 13 and the pre-show student workshop from noon-1:30 p.m. Oct. 14. For information about workshops, contact Angel Mercier, Arts Education program director, at 913-469-8500, ext. 4221.
