Metawee River Theatre Company performs July 29 at Windsor Lake, North Adams

Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 09:48:45 -0400
From: Rod Bunt <tourist@bcn.net>, Mayor's Office of Tourism

The North Adams Office of Tourism is proud to announce a free outdoor theater event.

The acclaimed Metawee River Theatre Company will perform a free outdoor show at Windsor Lake on Friday, July 29th at 8 pm. The play is a shortened version of acclaimed German playwright Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Calk Circle.

In Brecht's powerful reinvention of an ancient tale, a peasant girl rescues an infant child abandoned by noble parents in a time of upheaval. The bond between the girl and the child grows strong through many adventures, some perilous and some humorous. When the noble mother tries to reclaim the child in order to gain an inheritance, the resulting dispute is brought before an eccentric judge, who offers his own twist on King Solomon's demonstration of wisdom in devising a test to determine the true mother of a contested baby.

The Metawee River Theatre Company is known for it's lively productions incorporating masks, giant figures, puppets and other visual elements with live music. The company's founder and director Ralph Lee is committed to bringing theater to the widest possible audience and children are welcome. Lee and the company have received numerous awards for their performances and designs.

Actors Bruce Connelly, Kim Gambino, Kevin Lawler, Tom Marion, Joe Osheroff and Clea Rivera will play multiple roles. The production will incorporate masks, puppetry and costumes, with an original musical score composed by Neal Kirkwood. Lee will design and direct the production, with costumes by Casey Compton. The composer and musician Harry Mann will perform on vibraphone, accordion, saxophone, clarinet and percussion.

The public is encouraged to attend this free cultural offering. For more information on the "Caucasian Chalk Circle," or any other city event, please call the North Adams Office of Tourism, 6 West Main Street, at 664-6180.