By Samantha Hudson
Oct. 25, 2012. On Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. at the Broyhill Events Center “Dragons in the Mountain” will be preformed. This is an original theater work produced by Star of the Sea Studios in collaboration with Appalachian State University’s Sustainability Council, the Department of Theatre and Dance and the Hayes School of Music. The production’s purpose is to explore humanity in nature and the personal spirit in relation to natural environment.
Various techniques are used to follow the story of a worn down environmental activist on a journey to reconnect with a sustainable energy of the soul.
“All of us feel this sort of environmental fatigue of doing your recycling every week, it’s an extra little burden in our lives, even if we’re not thinking about it every single moment, it’s in the background. In this show he wants to connect, instead of getting frustrated, he wants to connect to the natural beauty of the world. It’s that love that will be a sustainable source of energy for us to continually help our planet,” said Alistair Burke, the show’s producer.
The characters journey takes him through a mythic Appalachian landscape where he encounters ancestral spirits, wild beasts, celestial companions, wizards, trolls, crones, dragons and elemental forces. The production features large-scale puppets, masks, poetry and song, video, photography and live music.
The puppets are the original design of Kathy Ford who has been working as a puppeteer and theatrical artist for the last 30 years. She has worked with K-12 and collegiate communities as well as special education and women’s communities.
Alistair Burke, who has been producing photography and film for about 15 years is the creator of the video and digital art elements for the project. He will be using different photography and video techniques that will create the multi-layered backdrop for the landscape.
Professor of Music at Appalachian State Liz Rose will direct the musical components of the show, which include a four-piece band, choral quartet and choir.
“We’re all about the community,” said Burke. “What we are really interested in is the community and creating a space for community to come together and participate and express our feelings about the planet and the Earth and environmental issues.”
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students/children. They can be purchased by calling 800-841-ARTS or 828-262-4046 or visiting the box office at Valborg Theatre: 480 Howard Street, Boone.
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