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A Ukrainian Fairy Tale at Outcast Productions Oct. 17 & 18

Kate Poss | With Photos by David WeltonBy No Comments3 Mins Read
Student shadow puppet art taught by artist Melissa Koch. Photo by Kate Poss

Kotyhoroshko and the Dragon

Courage and Kindness in the Shadow of War

This production of a Ukrainian Fairy Tale is a tribute to the Ukrainian people and their courageous commitment to ensuring the future of democracy in our world. All proceeds will go to support Waldorf Schools in Ukraine.

Kotyhoroshko and the Dragon – is an ancient tale with contemporary significance. The name Kotyhoroshko is derived from “Horoh,” which means pea in Ukrainian, an important staple crop that symbolizes abundance, fertility, and prosperity. The young hero who rescues his siblings from the dragon speaks to the significance of family. His ability to overcome obstacles through his strength of character echoes the Ukrainian people’s historical experience of adversity and resilience.

This is a local production featuring volunteer local actors, artists, and musicians, including live music, marionettes, shadow puppets and live acting.

About the playwright: Holly Koteen Soule and the production:

It started out as a personal project to celebrate the Ukrainian culture and people and build greater awareness for what is happening there and how it matters to all of us.  Over the past few months, It has grown into an incredible collaborative effort by a talented group of local artists. I have started calling it a puppet event! 
I wrote a play that weaves together a beloved Ukrainian fairy tale with true stories of courage and kindness in war-time Ukraine. The multi-layered production includes marionettes, shadow puppets, a live actress with life-size child puppet, and live music.  
Melissa Koch and I worked together last fall on the Festival of the Elements. This year, she is creating the shadow puppet scenes. There are several simultaneous layers to the story and a shadow puppet screen above and behind the puppet stage is one of them where certain scenes take place or are amplified. The story will be augmented with live music and Ukrainian songs with Peggy Taylor and Andrea Rieneckert.
I did a lot of research on various versions of the fairy tale and combined the best of them in my script.  A Ukrainian colleague in Kyiv consulted with me on the script. This resulted in a shorter version of the story for children 6-12 which we will perform in the afternoons.  The longer evening performance includes the hero’s initiation journey into the underworld and is intended for adults and teens.
Performance Information:

Saturday, Oct. 17 and Sunday, Oct. 18 at Outcast Productions
2 pm shows: Kotyhoroshko and the Dragon (for children 6-12) feature the first half of the story
7 pm shows: (for teens and adults) include the Further Adventures of Kotyhoroshko, his journey into the underworld and more!

Tickets: $10 children; $15 teens; $20 adults

Tickets available online at:
https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/outcast-productions/courage-and-ki…
Or email ocp@whidbey.com and reserve to pay at the door

Learn more about how this production is SupportingWaldorfinUkraine.org

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