Fair raffle continues as Readers' Theater returns
By Sudie Blanchard
Assistant Director
YORK VILLAGE - What a wonderful Preschool Fair we had last Saturday.
Over 300 children, families and presenters crowded into the building from 10 a.m. to noon. Everywhere I looked, I saw youngsters involved in the hands-on activities: kneading cookie dough, examining a visiting box turtle, making music, young muscles stretching in Yoga positions. Smiles were everywhere. Meanwhile, parents were learning about the resources for preschool-aged children that are available in our area.
And it's not quite over yet - thanks to the generosity of over 25 exhibitors, the raffle and silent auction that began on Saturday as part of the Preschool Fair will continue until Wednesday, Feb. 14.
There are four "packages" of items being raffled that include scholarships, clothing, books and art supplies. Three special items are part of a silent auction: a signed, framed, print by a local artist entitled "Lilies III," a pair of tickets to a Boston Symphony concert and a "bucket-full" of art supplies that's sure to delight a child. Proceeds from both the raffle and the auction will benefit the Children's Room.
READERS' THEATER RETURNS
What is Readers' Theater? There are modest sets and very few props. Actors, like storytellers, stimulate the listener's imagination. Readers' Theater frees the performers and the audience from the physical limitations of conventional theater and allows the imagination to soar.
York Readers' Theater will present "Enigma Variations" by the award-winning playwright Eric Emmanuel Schmitt at the York Public Library on Friday, Feb.16, and Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. The play takes place on a remote island when two strangers meet. One, a famous but hermitic author, has written a celebrated novel about his love affair with an unnamed woman. The other, a journalist, has come to interview the author. The interview becomes a life-threatening challenge to both men as questions about love and truth emerge.
The actors in the York production are Alan Huisman, who has appeared on Seacoast-area stages since 1997, and Wells resident Gregg Trzaskowski, who has appeared at the Seacoast Repertory Theater and on the History Channel.
Director David Newman was head of the Drama Department at St. Paul's School in Concord, N.H., and has directed other Readers' Theater productions.
He leads a lively discussion with the audience and actors after each production.
