Summer Reading kickoff set for Saturday

The National Touring Theatrical Troupe Act!vated Story Theatre, now in its 31st year, will be returning to Siloam Springs at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 1, at Siloam Springs Public Library to kick off the 2019 Summer Reading Program. They will exhibit two highenergy presentations of multicultural folktales to help “act!vate” the summer reading program.

“Coyote and the Eagle” (Zuni): was created especially for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, this comic Native American fable relates how the moon came to be, thanks to a quarrelsome pair of animals who must learn teamwork in order to rescue the stolen sun.

“Hina Moves to the Moon” (Polynesian): a Hawaiian origin myth about a phenomenal seamstress who takes her skill to the moon to escape her unhappy life on earth.

For more information about the performance, please call the library at 479-524-4236. For information about Act!vated Story Theatre, please visit http://activatedstorytheatre.com.

Thirty minutes prior to the performance the actors will host 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. Call the library at the number listed above to sign up for the pre-show theatre workshop or RSVP on the Act!vated Story Theatre Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ ActivatedFans. The performance itself is open to, and enjoyed by, all ages.

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, a unique set, and 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 46 states and traveled to Japan.

In addition to live performances at schools and libraries 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.