Mock Turtle – Marionette Theatre

Saturday June 18th with PA Sinfonia

Grab the kids! Tell every parent and grandparent you know.

Large, elaborate puppets who “play” musical instruments (together with their human handler) will be on stage at the Ice House in Bethlehem on Saturday, May 18 in a 3:00 p.m. performance that creatively shows how numerous ethnicities and cultures have contributed to great classical music.

The “Museum of Music” is an entertaining show for children and their families, to be followed immediately by a puppet-making workshop and refreshments. The project is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra and Mock Turtle Marionette Theater, with artistic director Doug Roysdon.

We have almost entirely COLLEGE YOUTH making this happen as actors and stage directors (except for the professional musicians). Doug Roysdon is operating the puppets and, of course, wrote the show. A youth show with YOUTH INVOLVEMENT! The musicians are PERFECT. Simon Maurer as the violinist is in his heaven- he can improvise, play classical, Hungarian gypsy music PLUS jazz and even gospel/bluegrass. He can ham it up plus play many styles of music .. even true fiddle music. Michael Toth on piano is doing the same thing and Christa Warda is really looking forward to being the opera “DIVA”

Tickets: Students under 17, $7.50. Adults, $10.

Limited seating! Call to reserve: 610 434-7811

Allentown Public Theatre Presents Drama Workshop Based on Latino Stories

 Join us at 10AM on Saturday, June 25 at the Charles Brown IceHouse on Sand Island as Mock Turtle Marionette Theater presents The Allentown Public Theatre’s creative drama workshop on the ancient Caribbean tale, La Murcielaga.  Children and adults alike, are invited to actively participate in the creation of characters and story-telling based on this Taino tale about the Bat who was offered feathers through the generosity of the birds only to lose them again out of ingratitude.  The 90-minute workshop includes drama and visual art activities.  Children love it!  And families enjoy it, too.

General Admission to The Ice House Saturday Series is $7.50.  All are welcome. 

For more information on the workshop contact Doug Roysdon at 610-653-3462.

May 7th Cambiata – All Around the Maypole

Join us at 10AM on Saturday, May 7^th at the Charles Brown IceHouse on Sand Island as Mock Turtle Marionette Theater presents Cambiata and their charming event for the family, All Around the Maypole.  Performing in costume and playing authentic period instruments, Cambiata will transport you and your children to another time and place, with songs, dance tunes, and poetry that usher in the Spring.  Selections are from 16^th and 17^th century Europe, and are performed on lute, viols, recorders, and krumhorns.  Cambiata members include: Sara Cox, Ruth Maletz, Ilse Zinnes, and Bill Thatcher.   Joining Cambiata for this performance is soprano vocalist Nathania Young. The performance will be followed by a children’s workshop with a demonstration of the instruments and a special Maypole Dance. All ages are welcome.

 For more information on the music and the workshop, contact Bill Thatcher @ 610 252 3203

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.