Friendly monsters, larger-than-life puppets, and vibrant dancers will take the stage at Stissing Center this summer as part of its annual children’s series. The programming launches Saturday, June 13, and runs every other Saturday through August, with pay-what-you-can or free admission.
Now in its fourth year, the programs are geared toward children ages 4 and up. “We’ll have a variety of experiences, many of them interactive, to get the kids involved,” said the center’s executive director, Patrick Trettenero. “The shows are great for all ages, too.”
It is no coincidence that the series kicks off on Pine Plains Community Day.
“The summer [schedule] reflects our ongoing commitment to our community and the kids,” Trettenero said. “I also try to stay as local as possible in my choices of performers.”
Millbrook resident Karina Powers will lead an interactive workshop on June 27. A native of Mexico, Powers will introduce children to the culture and folkloric dance of Chihuahua, one of Mexico’s 32 states. This art form blends Indigenous and European influences and showcases colorful costumes, rhythmic footwork, and storytelling.
“The Chihuahua folkloric dance I’ll teach the kids is a type of polka, influenced by Poland and Germany,” Powers said. “We’ll be dancing on a 20-by-20-foot wooden platform, built by my husband.”
A hard, solid floor is a must for serious performers, who wear shoes with nail-studded heels and toes for percussive effect.
“Folkloric dance is an enriching tradition that nourishes the soul, body, and spirit,” Powers said. “The kids will love it.”
Later in the season, with papier-mâché puppets in tow, Arms-of-the-Sea, an arts ensemble based in Saugerties, will perform “Estuary Tales: The Life and Times of the Hudson River.” The show features original live music and large-scale puppetry that tells the story of the waterway’s ecosystem and the struggle to preserve it.
“Our performance is for all age groups,” said Patrick Wadden, the troupe’s co-founder, playwright, and puppet maker. “We try to make it work on a number of levels, we pack a lot of content into our shows.”
He said that Arms-of-the-Sea, now in its 44th year, has created puppets of all sizes for past productions.
“Our largest was 12 feet tall: We had to transport it in a bus,” Wadden said.
Here is the Summer Children’s Series lineup:
- Art Effect’s Children’s Art Workshop — offering young artists hands-on creative exploration; June 13
- Dances of Chihuahua, Karina Powers, instructor; June 27
- “Estuary Tales: The Life and Times of the Hudson River,” presented by Arms-of-the-Sea; July 11
- New York Theatre Organ Society: The Zach Frame Organ Show — a fun, high-energy performance on Stissing Center’s own digital theatre organ; July 25
- “The Myth of Persephone: How the Seasons Came to Be” — a Grumbling Gryffon’s Traveling Children’s Theater production, with a pre-performance workshop for kids age 6 and older who want to be in the show; August 8
- “Monster Intelligence” — performed by Up in Arms, a Hudson Valley-based puppet company: An original Broadway-style musical for the whole family, with a cast of friendly, colorful monsters; August 22
For more information, visit Stissing Center’s website.