Mock Turtle – Marionette Theatre

April 16th LV Storytelling Guild & LV Folk Music

Join us on Saturday, April 16^th at 10 AM as Mock Turtle Marionette Theater teams up with Wildlands Conservancy, The Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild and the Lehigh Valley Folk Music Society to usher in the spring season. 

Valley storyteller Charles Kiernan will perform Americana stories from his collection of Appalachian tales whose wisdom and humor is woven into the life of a little village stuck way back in the hills.   Meanwhile, The Lehigh Valley Folk Music Society will provide the perfect accompaniment for our story teller as they offer a score traditional American folk music and audience sing-along.  The show will be followed by a folk music workshop provided by the Folk Music Society.  After the show everyone is invited to see what our community partner, Wildlands Conservancy, has to offer families and the community in general over the coming year.

Tickets: $5 for the show and story time/$7.50 for the show and workshop combination

Special $6 price for show and workshop to Wildlands Conservancy members        

Contact: Mock Turtle for details, directions and reservations at 610-8678208 doug@mockturtle.org

The event will be held at 10 AM at the Charles Brown IceHouse, 56 River Road, Sand Island, Bethlehem.

Touchstone and Mock Turtle – April 9th!

Join us on Saturday, April 9^th at 10 AM as Mock Turtle Marionette Theater teams up with Touchstone Theatre and the Children’s Coalition of Lehigh Valley to celebrate Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Our event begins with DaPooch, a children’s play by Touchstone Theatre. Follow the tale of Poochie’s Three Hundred and Seventy Second Birthday AND how the Hunga Munga Munga SAVED HIS LIFE!  And best of all, meet master story teller and Touchstone co-founder, Bill George, in this amusing and thrilling tale of Poochie’s eventful birthday, how the animals helped him, and how, sometimes, what you fear most can be your salvation. A story for the whole family, we’ll have music, audience participation, and lots of joyful silliness.

 After our fifty minute performance, the audience is invited to join the Children’s Coalition of Lehigh Valley and Mock Turtle Marionette Theater for our “Who Protects Me” workshop.  All children will have the opportunity to make a puppet and write a short script telling us all about the people who look out for them every day.  Following the show and workshop, you will be invited to meet our friends from the Children’s Coalition of Lehigh Valley and learn what you can do to help prevent child abuse in our community.

Tickets: $5 for the show and story time/$7.50 for the show, the story and the puppet-making workshop – Contact Mock Turtle Marionette Theater for details, directions and reservations at 610-867-8208/doug@mockturtle.org

The workshop will be held at 10 am at the Charles Brown IceHouse, 56 River Road, Sand Island, Bethlehem.  

 This year’s family series has been supported by donations from Just Born, Lehigh County, The Hoch Foundation, The Century Fund and The Lehigh County Arts Council.

March 5th – Just Like a Puppet

Mock Turtle’s Doug Roysdon has teamed up with Touchstone theatre to create a play of pure puppet magic.  Just Like a Puppet, a production reminiscent of an illustrated children’s storybook features two neighbors, Mr. Botts and Mr. Finch in their rollicking efforts to discover the true source of puppet magic.  Mr. Botts, played by Bill George, looks for the secret of puppetry in his collection of herbs and blossoms, while Mr. Finch (Doug Roysdon) believes the power of puppetry is in the craftsman’s tools.

And thus follows a long string of puppet experiments in which we meet marionette dancers and bagpipers, a Bunraku lion, a rod puppet opera singer and the caste of Humpty Dumpty in the form of a toy theater production.  Full of storytelling, audience participation and music, Just Like a Puppet culminates in the revelation of the secret and in the moral of the story.   Also joining us for our March 5^th show will be Project Easton who will bring their kids and talk a little bit about what’s new in downtown Easton. 

Show starts at 10 am. Tickets: $5 for the show and story time/$7.50 for the show, the story and the puppet-making workshop.

Contact Mock Turtle Marionette Theater for details, directions and reservations at 610-867-8208.

This year’s family series has been supported by donations from Just Born, Lehigh County, The Hoch Foundation, The Century Fund and The Lehigh County Arts Council.

Valentine’s Day Party featuring Dave Fry – Feb 12th

Join us on Saturday, February 12th at 10 AM as Mock Turtle Marionette Theater celebrates Valentine’s Day with Dave Fry of Godfrey Daniels and the puppetry of Doug Roysdon  at the Charles Brown IceHouse on Sand Island, Bethlehem.  The program, featuring Dave’s Fry’s favorite music for kids and families, comes with some cameo marionette appearances and a Valentine’s Day Doggie puppet workshop. Cookies and juice will be served after the show.

This year’s Valentine’s Day show is part of Godfrey Daniels 35th Anniversary Celebration which will be observed this March at the coffeehouse in Southside Bethlehem.  Our concert is one in a long series of performances in which Godfrey’s  has entertained three generations of Lehigh Valley families with great live folk music.  Visit www.godfreydaniels.org for more information.

Tickets: $5 for the show/ $7.50 for the show and workshop combination- Contact Mock Turtle Marionette Theater for details, directions and reservations at 610-867-8208/doug@mockturtle.org

The Dancing Granny at the IceHouse – February 5

            Join us on Saturday, February 5^th at 10 AM as Mock Turtle Marionette Theater celebrates Black History Month with The Dancing Granny, Tales of African Origin, at the Charles Brown IceHouse on Sand Island, Bethlehem.  The program, featuring stories from Africa and Afro America, is performed by marionetteer Doug Roysdon and Grace Hocella of the Bach Choir.  Each tale is told in its own unique way, employing song, storytelling and a variety of puppets including shadow, rod and marionettes.  The show will be followed by a puppet-making workshop (lion puppets). 

            Our program partner for this year’s Black History Month event will be The Caring Place from Allentown.  The Caring Place provides programs and activities designed to help young people overcome the pressures and limitations of the inter-city environment.  The organization will be making a short presentation about their work as a part of this year’s collaborative event.

Tickets: $5 for the show/ $7.50 for the show and workshop combination.

The program will occur at 10 AM at the Charles Brown IceHouse, 56 River Road, Sand Island, Bethlehem. For information reservations and directions, Contact Mock Turtle Marionette Theater www. mockturtle.org or 610-867-8208 or at doug@mockturtle.org

This year’s family series has been supported by donations from Just Born, Lehigh County, The Holt Family Foundation, The Century Fund and The Lehigh County Arts Council.