Exciting Programs at Local Libraries gets Kids Reading this Summer

ROGERS, Ark. - June 12, 2013 - PRLog -- Special “Act!vated” Summer Reading Program at the Libraries in Northwest Arkansas


Local libraries and Act!vated Story Theatre are promoting summer reading and encouraging kids to “Dig Into Reading” by treating young readers to a live theatre productions. Act!vated Story Theatre, a national touring theatre troupe, will “act!vate” two multicultural folktales at the following 5 libraries in NW Arkansas

Tuesday, June 18, at 11:00 AM -   Siloam Springs Library, 401 W University St, Siloam Springs, AR
Wednesday, June 19, at 10:00 AM  -  Rogers Library, 711 S Dixieland, Rogers, AR  
Thursday, June 20, at  10:00 AM   - Springdale Library, 405 S. Pleasant, Springdale, AR    
Thursday, June 20, at 2:00 PM -   Bentonville Public Library, 405 S. Main Street, Bentonville, AR  
Friday, June 21, at 11:00 AM   - Marion County Library, 308 Old Main, Yellville, AR  

Kids and their families are invited to join the fun. The 45-minute program is free and open to the public. For information about event call the children's department at the library. For more information about the show please visit http://activatedstorytheatre.com.

The performance will consist of two stories from the troupe's current repertoire:

Tops and Bottoms - a retelling of a Scandinavian version of a tale that has appeared in many different forms and cultures, going all the way back to Aesop. It's a classic trickster tale, in which a fox outwits a bear in the choice of which part of a crop to take – the tops or the bottoms. The presentation style for this story is inspired in part by Warner Brothers cartoons, particularly The Road Runner, which in turn is inspired by Native American trickster tales involving the character known as Coyote Trickster. To emphasize the cartoonish nature of this interpretation, some parts of the story are enacted in pantomime to music, and it includes a great deal of slapstick involving comically exaggerated props.

The Iron Dragon is a relatively recent folktale that originated in California among Chinese railroad workers in the Nineteenth Century. Based in part on the retelling by Kathleen Chang in the book Iron Moonhunter, this is a symbolic tale about homesick immigrants honoring and preserving their own heritage while forging a new life for themselves in America. With the aid of many hats and some three-dimensional stick figures to help wear them, this story is presented in a unique performance style that sometimes has the actors switching characters in mid-sentence. It also incorporates the traditional Chinese arts of tai chi and shadow puppetry.

Simple Ivan –a Russian story that is one of the classic "noodlehead" stories, which feature young simpletons committing hilarious blunders – and sometimes achieving wisdom in the end. Ivan's amusing misadventures result from his attempts to follow his mother's advice, doing the right thing at the wrong time – much to the annoyance of the peasants and villagers he encounters, and the delight of the audiences who encounter him.

The Bridge and the Dream - a Middle Eastern story that was included in The Arabian Nights, presented in a vaudevillian style, with characters that would be at home in a Marx Brothers movie, delivering rapid fire gags, zany non-sequiturs, clever wordplay and slapstick. The principal characters are dressed in costumes carefully modeled after period Ottoman (Turkish) clothing. There's even an appearance by a genie in a dream sequence performed in mime to original music.

Up to twelve kids, age 6 and up, will be cast in one of the stories as “guest stars”. To get a part in the show, kids attend a free theatre workshop led by the actors 30 minutes before the show begins. No experience necessary. Call the children’s librarian to sign-up for the pre-show theatre workshop. The performance itself is open to all ages.

Act!vated Story Theatre productions are high-energy dramatizations of folktales. They don’t just tell stories, they “Act!vate” them. Each show incorporates physical comedy, zany props and costumes, audience participation, music, American Sign Language and a unique set, an oversize "book" with pages that turn to reveal scenery. The Reno Gazette-Journal says, “They have reinvented the art of theatrical storytelling."

It is estimated that summer breaks will cause the average student to lose up to one month of instruction, with disadvantaged students being disproportionately affected (Cooper, 1996). Researchers conclude that two-thirds of the 9th grade reading achievement gap can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years…(Alexander, Entwistle & Olsen, 2007) Barbara Heyn (1978) found that “More than any other public institution, including the schools, the public library contributed to the intellectual growth of children during the summer.” -- as reported by the New York State Library System

The experts agree: Summertime reading makes a big difference in helping kids overcome the learning time lost during summer vacation from school. Access to libraries makes a big difference in encouraging kids to read during that time. And summer library programs make a big difference in bringing kids into the library where all the books are.

Act!vated Story Theatre was founded in San Francisco in 1988 by Dennis and Kimberly Goza. The professional touring troupe has performed in 45 states plus Washington, DC and Japan. This summer the troupe will perform at 38 libraries located in California, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts to promote reading and families learning and laughing together. In addition to live performances at schools and libraries across the country every year the act!vated duo produces an “Act!vated Stories” podcast and publishes folktales for reading out loud on their web site http://activatedstorytheatre.com/folktale.html.