Acting Out Productions and Duck Soupe Troup Productions are teaming up again after last years successful production of “The Phantom Tollbooth” at the Firehouse Center for the Arts to create “The Roald Dahl Festival.” The festival will include a myriad of family-friendly events to take place throughout the city of Newburyport for the month of October including readings, skits, a replica of Dahls writing “hut”, a letter writing campaign for elementary students, a special “Golden Ticket” Hunt and more, all culminating in a production of “The Witches” at the Firehouse Center for the Arts October 21-24th. The Festival is being supported in part by the Newburyport Montessori School and the Firehouse Center for the Arts. The festival will also include collaborations with The Newburyport Library, Newburyport Elementary, Middle and High Schools, The Chamber of Commerce and dozens of local businesses including Jabberwocky Bookshop, Winfrey’s Candies, Graf Architects, Blue Egg Baking Company, and Zach Field Drum Studios just to name a few.
“The excitement is brewing” commented Bonnie Lake who conceived of the festival and will Co-Direct the production with Deirdre & John Budzyna. “We had over 130 people come out to audition for the show back in the spring, and we are so excited about the popularity and support for family theater opportunities in Newburyport” Bonnie continued. “We hope the creation of the Roald Dahl Festival will help extend the theatrical experience to the community and give more people a chance to be involved, all celebrating Roald Dahl – whose books are still widely read in schools today.
The festival events, listed below in order of their occurrence, will culminate in the production of “The Witches” featuring original music by local favorite Peter Sheridan and Directed by Bonnie Lake and Deirdre and John Budzyna. To find out about events throughout the Roald Dahl Festival go to: http://www.roalddahlfestival.com/
Gala Opening: Golden Ticket Launch – Thursday, Sept 30th , 7pm at The Firehouse Center for the Arts
He created “The Witches,” “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” among other popular children’s books. He is Roald Dahl, and he is the center of the festival and our kick-off event at the Firehouse. In addition to celebrating Roald Dahl, the festivities will include the first ever Ordinary- Extraordinary Award. “It’s based on recognizing ordinary people among us who do ordinary things, that end up making an extraordinary difference, or ordinary people who are doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways. The inspiration comes from Dahl’s “Witches”: those particular ladies are Ordinary-Extraordinary in a not-so-wonderful way. But it only takes a moment to look around in our own lives and find dozens of people among us who are Ordinary-extraordinary in a multitude of remarkable ways, who make a difference in the world every single day, and who also go unnoticed because they’re pretty “ordinary”. This is a way to recognize those people, and the difference they are making in our community.
Other highlights of the Gala include special performances from “The Witches” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and Giant Peach” and more! We will also announce details of the Limited Edition Dahl Festival Chocolate Bars with hidden Golden Ticket’s, made by Winfrey’s Chocolates and The Splendiferous Everlasting Mouse Chase of Newburyport! The Gala Opening: Golden Ticket Launch and The Ordinary Extra-Ordinary Awards is a partnership of Acting Out Productions, Duck Soupe Troupe and the Firehouse Center for the Arts,. Admission is $5. Tickets are available at the Firehouse Box Office (Wed-Sun 12-5 or until curtain) or online at http://www.firehouse.org/L3-shows-other1.html.
Directions to the Firehouse: http://www.firehouse.org/L3-aboutus-Directions.html
Official Opening of the Roald Dahl Writing Hut Replica & Hanging of Children’s Letters to characters in “The Witches”
Firehouse Center for the Arts, Upper Lobby Opening: Thursday, Sept 30th at the Gala Opening: Golden Ticket Launch
On display Wed-Sun 12-5pm and during performances Sept 30 – Oct 24.
Admission: FREE
The festival has already begun as several area elementary school classrooms have begun their school year with a study of Roald Dahl. They’ll be reading Dahl’s “The Witches”, and then will write letters to the characters in the story. Young adults in Deb Szabo’s Creative Writing class at Newburyport High School will then receive the letters and gather at Jabberwocky Bookshop in order to pen a response, in character, to the children. The students will be getting help from some local real life authors and playwrights including Anne Easter Smith, Donna Seims, Aine Greaney, Steve Faria and Deirdre Gerard. The letters, and their responses will be hung at the Firehouse Upper Lobby, in a replica of Dahl’s writing hut.
Directions to the Firehouse: http://www.firehouse.org/L3-aboutus-Directions.html
The Splendiferous Everlasting Mouse Chase
October 1 – October 20thChase mice throughout town to enter a raffle for exciting prizes!
Ballots to be available at the Newburyport Public Library and The Firehouse Center for the Arts. (Mice to be displayed in a custom house built by Graf Architects during “The Witches” production)
Dahl Festival @ The Farmers Market
The Tannery
Sunday Oct 3rd 9am-1pm
Admission: Free
Come visit our booth about the Roald Dahl Festival and the upcoming production of “The Witches.” You’ll also get to meet Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker – two characters from Roald Dahl’s “James and Giant Peach.” Besides festival information, we’ll be raffling off some delicious Peach Pies! Yum!
Directions to the Tannery: http://www.tannerymarketplace.com/web/directions.htm
Dahl Film Feature “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
Based on the book by Roald Dahl
Firehouse Center for the Arts
Friday, October 8th 7pm
Admission: Students $6, Adults $8
Willy Wonka has hidden five Golden Tickets inside his Wonka Bars. Whoever finds these special tickets will be given a full tour of his chocolate factory and a life-time supply of chocolate. Such a sweet deal is irresistible to everyone in town and those who can afford to, buy vast quantities to try and swing the odds of finding a Golden Ticket in their favor. Charlie Bucket, the young lad who supplements his families meager earnings by selling newspapers cannot afford to do this, but when he finds a silver coin in the gutter he buys a Wonka Bar with a winning ticket hidden inside. Join Charlie and his Grandpa Joe as they take the tour of a lifetime and find out what happens when they try to make Willy Wonka keep his promise of a lifetime supply of chocolate.
Advanced tickets at: http://www.firehouse.org/L3-shows-film1.html
Directions to the Firehouse: http://www.firehouse.org/L3-aboutus-Directions.html
Dahl Songs – Peter Sheridan and children performing on Inn Street
Fall Harvest Festival
Sun & Mon, Oct 10th & 11t (Day/Times TBA)
Inn Street, Newburyport
Sunday, October 10th & Monday, October 11th
Admission: Free
Peter Sheridan will perform songs he has written especially for “The Witches” which will be presented at the Firehouse Oct 21-24th He’ll be joined by a choir of children as they sing songs about what witches wear and where witches live. You’ll be surprised and entertained by the answers you’ll get when you come join us! Directions/Info about the Harvest Festival at: http://www.newburyportchamber.org/fall_harvest.shtml
‘Dahl Wednesday’ at Newburyport Public Library
Sign up at the Library in person or by phone (978-465-4428) begins on Monday, September 20.
* Wednesday, October 6, 3:30p – 4:30p
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Party for grades K and up
* Wednesday, October 13, 3:00p – 4:00p
Fantastic Mr. Fox read aloud for grades K and up
* Wednesday, October 20, 5:00p – 6:30p
Fantastic Mr. Fox movie and pizza night for grades K and up
“The Witches” by Roald Dahl – Thursday – Sunday, October 22 – 24th at Firehouse Center for the Arts
Firehouse Center for the Arts
Thur-Sat., Oct 21-23, 7:30pm
Sat & Sun., Oct 23 &24, 2pm
Admission: Students $14/Adults $16
Acting Out! Productions and Duck Soupe Troupe bring the classic Roald Dahl story, “The Witches,” to life on the Firehouse stage for one weekend only with a cast of over 60 actors! When a boy is suddenly orphaned, he must make a new life with his loving Norwegian Grandmother. She regales him with strange tales about real witches, dangerous women that live among us in ordinary homes, wearing ordinary clothes, and working at ordinary jobs. But though they appear ordinary on the outside, inside they are bursting with evil as they sniff out children and frizzle them! The witches are having their annual meeting at the Hotel Magnificent, a beautiful seaside resort, where we discover their plot to turn every living child into a mouse. When Boy stumbles upon their rotten plan, he finds himself smack in the middle of their wicked snare! Will Boy escape the clutches of the witches? Can Boy and Grandmother stop the witches and save the children? This family-friendly show is filled with special effects, humor, colorful costumes, loads of fun, and original music by local singer-songwriter Peter Sheridan of Amesbury! Come enjoy the spectacle, and celebrate one of the nations all-time favorite children’s authors, Roald Dahl.To purchase tickets to the public performances of “The Witches” go to:http://www.firehouse.org/L3-shows-family3.html
To purchase tickets for a School Show Performance of “The Witches” contact:
Evelyn Kovach at 508-641-7135 or email at evlkova@aol.com
School Show Performances: Fri. Oct 22nd 9:30am & 11:30am
School Show info at: http://www.firehouse.org/L4-shows-schoolshows2.html
To find out about events throughout the Roald Dahl Festival go to: http://www.roalddahlfestival.com/
