SYRUP 2016
7th ANNUAL ONE SWEET PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL
Buckland’s own Janice Sorensen reacts to previous festivals and offers a preview of our 8th Annual Festival, scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2017 featuring two time Grammy winner Bill Harley.
Thank you to our audiences, artists and local journalists who made 2016 another great year of SYRUP: One Sweet Performing Arts Festival possible!
2016 Festival in the media:
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Piti Theatre Company’s much loved sweet event at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls featuring the world premiere of Piti Theatre’s Olde Coleraine: A Musical Hilltown History featuring award-winning Northampton singer-songwriter Carrie Ferguson, Piti’s Shelburne Falls Youth Troupe, Ballet Renversé and more!
and
Sarah Frechette’s Puppetkabob, a puppet theatre company from Vermont who will present
their production The Snowflake Man, recipient of the Union Internationale de la Marionette’s citation of excellence in 2011 – puppetry’s highest honor.
March 20 is World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People!
Events a glance: Sunday, March 20, 2016, Memorial Hall, Shelburne Falls MA
1 pm: Costumed horse and cart rides begin
2 pm: Piti Theatre Company’s “Olde Coleraine” followed by Q&A with Susan Tracy, Professor of History, Hampshire College
Extended Intermission: syrup tasting, complimentary Real Pickles, raffle, baked goods, horse and cart rides continue
3:45: Carrie Ferguson & Piti Theatre Pre-CD release party
4 pm: Puppetkabob’s “The Snowflake Man”
4:45 pm: Puppetkabob’s “Pop-up Puppet Workshop”
6:00 pm: Diantha and Martha Wholey’s “Love Letters from Maud”
” . . . Syrup—subtitled One Sweet Performing Arts Festival—reflects the interests and variety embodied in Mirin and Richard’s Piti Theatre Company. Their work embraces kids and adults, theater and movement . . .”
– Chris Rohmann, Valley Advocate. Read the 2012 feature HERE
SYRUP 2016 will feature another delicious potpourri of world class performance for all ages, syrup tasting, free Real Pickles and more!
We are thrilled to have Puppetkabob’s Sarah Frechette joining us this year. Her piece “The Snowflake Man” is inspired by Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, the self-educated farmer and scientist who attracted world attention when he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal. The Snowflake Man swings audiences into the historic 1920s through creative storytelling, intricately designed Czech-style marionettes, and a striking pop-up book of water color scenery. The show combines art, science, and a little known piece of American history to magical effect!
The Snowflake Man was awarded a 2011 UNIMA Citation of Excellence – the highest honor in puppetry. Reserve your place in the “Pop-Up Puppet Workshop” following the show by emailing us.
Tickets are $12 / $5 for children 12 and under. One ticket lets you see either or both of the performances. Tix available at Boswell’s Books, Shelburne Falls and World Eye Bookshop, Greenfield (cash/check only), online and at the door starting 1 hour before showtimes (cash/check only). $2 service charge per ticket online. Click here to check out Ticketholder Treats for advance ticket buyers.
Pancakes and a show? March 19 and 20 is ALSO Maple Weekend!
1 pm: Costumed horse and cart rides begin and will be offered between 1 – 2 pm, during intermission, and after “The Snowflake Man.” $2 children, $3 adults, free for children in laps.
2 pm: Piti Theatre’s “Olde Coleraine” with special guests from Ballet Renversé and a troupe of local actors of all ages 
“I saw [the early version of] ‘Olde Coleraine’ at Riverfest in Shelburne Falls, MA, and was so facinated, moved and impressed – the MUSIC was amazing and so sweet, with the children singing, and the subject matter was near and dear to my heart having grown up along-side a river. I could feel the energy of the river from the movement of the play – I actually cried – really enjoyed it!” – Shauna Lynn, Shelburne Falls
“Olde Colraine” will be followed by a Q&A featuring Hampshire College Professor of History Susan Tracy, who has researched the area for several years in collaboration with Piti Theatre, and Artistic Director Jonathan Mirin. Learn more about the roots of Olde Coleraine performance by clicking here.
3 pm: Extended Intermission: syrup tasting, complimentary Real Pickles, raffle, baked goods and syrup-themed treats around the Village
3:45 pm: Carrie Ferguson and Piti Theatre pre-CD release party, featuring songs written by Jonathan Mirin and Carrie Ferguson for Piti shows over the last 4 years that are being recorded for a CD to be released later this year.
4:00 pm: Puppetkabob’s “The Snowflake Man”
“The incredible attention to detail, both visually and in her performance style, demonstrates Sarah’s mastery of storytelling in this charming show!”
– UNIMA-USA
“My granddaughters, daughter, daughter-in-law and I all enjoyed your show. It was beautiful!”
– Peabody Essex Museum, MA
“One might think that young children would prefer puppets that are loud and flashy, but they were enraptured with Sarah’s story and her marionettes.”
– Philadelphia Museum of Art
4:45 pm: Puppetkabob’s “Pop-up Puppet Workshop”
Bring your own snowy story to life in this fun workshop. Using simple art materials, 
children will learn how to create their own paper puppets and table-top scenery inspired by the colorful pop-up book art of The Snowflake Man. Award-winning puppeteer and artist Sarah Frechette, a graduate of the University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts program, will provide guidance and answer puppetry-related questions throughout.
“Wow, this was a complete art lesson for my child, and I enjoyed creating one too”
-Sullivan Family, MA
Workshop fee $5. Reservations recommended: info”at”ptco.org
6:00 pm: East Charlemont native Diantha Wholey and her daughter Martha narrate their film “Love Letters from Maud” at 6 pm. Diantha grew up on her grandfather’s farm where the Shelburne Falls Trolley No. 10 also resided during her childhood. Her grandfather saved the trolley – which may just have had something to do with his courtship of his wife-to-be Maud while enjoying the views of the North River while riding along the tracks. This is a free presentation.
Thank You 2016 Sponsors!
Angels
Producers
Directors
Baker’s Pharmacy
Berkshire Bank
Jonathan George, CPA
Stephan Gordon, Chiropractor and Nutritional Counseling
Hampshire Colon Hydrotherapy
Mirick Insurance Agency
Mo’s Fudge Factor
Trailside Health
Actors
Better World Auto Club
Molly Cantor Pottery
The Hempest
Pro-Tech Automotive
Staples Greenfield
Trolley Stop Antiques
Upside-Up Music
Door & Raffle Prizes
RAFFLE GRAND PRIZE: 2 Boston Red Sox Tix
+
Davenport Mobil
Goulds’ Sugar House
Shelburne Arts Co-op: Raili Cohen, Nina Anderson Coler, Sandra Denis, Flo Rosenstock, Jen Luck Hale
Funders
This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.
This program is supported in part by grants from Buckland, Shelburne, Hawlemont and Rowe Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Special Thanks to the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association
Contact us about Sponsorship and Raffle Prize Donation Opportunities!
Want to volunteer?
info”at”ptco.org or 413-625-6569