Magical Rain Theaterworks Workshops and Performances     (www.magicalrain.com)

1st of 3 weekend workshops

7 pm Friday,
4 pm Saturday and
11 a.m. Sunday

45 minutes each; theater games, cultural storytelling and black light choreography, family participation

Performances 

Saturday 2 pm and 7 pm,
Sunday 2 pm

They are designed to encourage audience participation during the black light portion.
The children who participated in the workshop will be invited on stage and folks pulled from the audience.

Admission: Adults $5; children free

Magical Rain Theater Works blends Hispanic myths, histories and legends to convey life lessons and entertainment.  Irene “Ike” Vasquez is a performing artist and co-owner with her husband, Dan Runyan.  This Michigan company uses storytelling, theater, performance, poetry and theater games as an experimental way to “bring medicine to the heart as a fresh rain comes to nourish rich soil.”

Their feature performance is  Palabras Luminosas (Latino Luminous language, laughter and lore):  An energetic rendition of Latino stories, jests and words of wisdom and wit.  Palabras Luminosas is a collection of stories from throughout the Americas, mixing comedy, folk wisdom, and new perspectives that will make you laugh and think.  The performance stories include “The World’s Shortest Ghost Story, told in English and Spanish; “The Old Man, the Dog and the Burro”, a popular jest about animals becoming animate in unexpected ways; “Child of the Sun”, a myth from Cuba with a message about keeping one’s promise; and “Giant Masks”, a dancing demonstration of giant masks used in Costa Rican Festivals.

Included is an Aztec myth from the peoples of Mexico done in black light with glow-in-the-dark props.  Workshops earlier in the day will help family participants learn the black light scene from the play and become part of the show, if they wish.