Arts4Kids, September 2008

"Out of the Mist... a Dragon", a Wood and Strings Theatre Production, coming to Kingsport in September

Out of the Mist... a Dragon, A Wood & Strings Theatre production, is coming to Kingsport this fall as part of the Art CouncilÌs Arts4Kids program and Art Nights City Lights 2008-09 performing art series. The tour will give a day-time performance at 10 a.m. for children grades 3-8, and a public performance at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 5, 2008 in the Kingsport Renaissance Center Theatre. Wood & Strings will also conduct a hands-on puppet making workshop for homeschool children following the day-time performance and an outreach workshop at the V.O. Dobbins Community Center at 4 p.m. that same day.

Tickets for the public performance are $12/adult, $10/Senior, $5/child and/or student and can be purchased online. Tickets for the day-time school performance are $5/adult and $3/child and can be purchased by downloading and sending in this form. Arts4Kids club members are FREE for the evening performance with advance ticket reservations by downloading this form.

"Out of the Mist.. a Dragon" is a drama that unfolds and reaches into the world of myth and legend to portray a young manÌs journey of self discovery. His encounters with traditional puppets from North America, England, and Indonesia give exotic glimpses of puppetry styles rarely seen in this country. This performance uses elegant reproductions of the classic Banraku puppets of Japan that will demonstrate an integrated art form, a cultural treasure of wonderment. Through this performance by Wood & Strings Puppet Theatre, the Arts Council of Greater Kingsport wishes to give a glimpse of the beauty and creativity achieved in the art of puppetry by people from widely diverse geographical areas of the world and present an awareness of the cultures that spawned them.

Under the direction of Clarissa Lega, producer and Leon Fuller, director, this professional touring company is involved in all aspects of production. Collaborating with four highly trained puppeteers and many other talented artists, they create works of puppetry for performance. Their attention to detail from story line through puppet and set construction and on to original music and choreography, becomes a complete interplay of the arts in their final works.

The Arts4Kids program is funded under agreement with the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts, as well as, through generous support from the Kingsport Community Foundation (a fund of the East Tennessee Foundation), Eastman Chemical Co., the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Kingsport, and other local sponsors."