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Giant 20 foot puppets. Dancing foxes. A ruckus and probably a rumpus. This is just the start of a bold journey toward Boxerwood’s upcoming theatrical performance, Spectacle 2023. The third in an occasional series, “Spectacle 2023: A Wild Notion” is a community-based project whose activities begin this month and culminate in a weekend of outdoor performance at Boxerwood, Oct. 14 -15.
“Spectacle is a theater form that evolved out of medieval pageantry and street parades,” explained Stephanie Hodde, the project’s artistic co-director. “Through Spectacle, we tell stories with larger-than-life character puppets, music and movement to invite audience members to participate in the experience.”
Last produced in 2010 for an audience of over a thousand, the 2023 Spectacle also uses the natural landscapes and viewscapes of Boxerwood as the performative stage.
According to organizers, this year’s theme explores the challenges and opportunities in summoning courage for big dreams.
“Through the eyes of three middle school characters, the show will highlight the wildness in us all, while also celebrating the wildness of the natural world,” said Boxerwood educator Jess Sullivan, who co-leads the project with Hodde.
Assisting in the development of this theme is Boxerwood educator and playwright Catherine Epstein, who has been working with a group of Lylburn Downing Middle School students this spring to develop the characters featured in the upcoming production.
As one youth put it, “We hope that these characters are just like real middle-schoolers. In the Spectacle, all three characters are going to learn about how to bring wildness back into their lives, and how to protect the wildness in nature all around them.”
Hodde and Sullivan are recruiting talent from all over the community for this project; writers, musicians, puppet makers, performers, and builders will all be a part of bringing this vision to life. Adults interested may contact Jess Sullivan, [email protected].
In addition to recruiting adult volunteers, organizers are also recruiting youth for performance roles. Youth auditions for singing, speaking, and puppeteer roles in “A Wild Notion” will be held Thursday and Friday, May 4 and 5, at Grace Episcopal Church, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. For more information on how to prepare for auditions, interested youth should email Hodde at stephhodde@gmail. com Additionally, Boxerwood is also sponsoring two weeks of Spectacle Camp in July for middle school and high school youth, with financial scholarships available.
According to Sullivan, campers will delve into their creative selves to create bear suits, fox and mushroom masks, and huge woodsy folk puppets. They will also help build performance structures, and devise movement, song, and dialogue for the October performance: a true community undertaking.
For more information see https://boxerwood.org/summercamps/.
