National Touring Theatre
O’Neal Library 50 Oak Street , Mountain Brook, Alabama 35213
The national touring theatrical Troupe Act!vated Story Theatre, now in its 31st year, will be returning to the Emmet O'Neal Library to present a performance of multicultural folktales that feature or highlight music. The library will provide a light dinner at 5:30 p.m., with the performance following at 6:00. The performance is free and open to the public.
For more information about the event, please call the museum at (205) 879-0459. For information about Act!vated Story Theatre, please visit http://activatedstorytheatre.com.
Thirty minutes before the performance the actors will be hosting an acting workshop for kids ages 6 and up. The workshop is limited to the first 12 participants, who will be cast as “guest stars”, dress in a costume and perform a scene in the production. To participate in the free pre-show workshop, kids must arrive 30 minutes before the show is scheduled to begin. No experience is necessary. The performance itself is open to and enjoyed by all ages. Infants to grandparents will find the show entertaining.
Act!vated Story Theatre will be performing two stories from its current production, Tuneful Tales, which consists of four stories from different countries and cultures, with each performance consisting of two of the stories. At the library performance, the stories will be: The Hat Seller and the Monkey: A comic little escapade from Mali, performed entirely in pantomime set to original music. The Hat Seller has just one mission, to take his hats to town to sell them. A mischievous monkey however, has other ideas and chaos ensues. This story transcends language barriers. Tops and Bottoms: A trickster tale from Scandinavia about a Bear and a Fox who share the crops 50/50 except one always ends up getting the better end of the deal. How can that be? This tale is staged in a style that alternates musical pantomime with scenes featuring dialogue.
About Act!vated Story Theatre, Act!vated Story Theatre doesn’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. 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. See http://activatedstorytheatre.com/schedule.html for a complete list of upcoming show dates and locations. In addition to live performances at schools, libraries, museums and other venues across the country every year the Act!-vated duo produces “Act!vated Stories” podcast to listen to and publishes folktales for reading out loud that can be found online http://activatedstorytheatre.com/folktale.html.