SHELBURNE FALLS — The Arms Library is hosting the New York-based Mettawee River Theatre Company on Friday for a free performance of “The Ringdove.”
The theater group has come to Shelburne Falls each year for two decades, Library Director Laurie Wheeler said, and in that time, the event has become the biggest of the year for the library.
“It’s a great way to connect and be out in the community,” she said.
The theater group — which perform myths, folk tales and legends using masks, puppets and music — is set to perform “The Ringdove” Friday at 8 p.m. on Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School’s lawn. The production is free to attend, paid for by a donation from the Friends of the Arms Library, Wheeler said.
Audience members can bring along chairs and blankets to enjoy the show. After the production, the audience can meet performers and ask questions.
“The Ringdove,” first performed by Mettawee in 1988, is based on a collection of allegorical tales from ancient India called “The Panchatantra,” a news release states. The story follows a crow, a rat, a turtle and a gazelle as they develop friendships and “achieve strength and harmony through cooperation and understanding.” The creatures’ stories reflect “many aspects of human nature.”
‘“The Ringdove’ draws on ancient wisdom, but also speaks to us in the here and now with humor and zest,” Mettawee Artistic Director Ralph Lee said in the release. “It’s a tale of friendship and generosity that seems a timely response to the state of affairs that surround us today.”
Part of Mettawee’s mission is to bring theater to rural areas that may have less access to this kind of performance, Lee said. The group has returned to Shelburne Falls each year, having been struck by the area’s beauty when they first arrived more than 20 years ago, Wheeler said.
The performance will feature veterans Claire Moodey and Greg Manley, as well as some newcomers, including Maia Karo, Jared Thomson and Merlin Whitehawk, the release states. The musical score is written by Neal Kirkwood, who has composed for Mettawee since 2001. Musicians are Ed Rosenberg on alto saxophone and hammered dulcimer, and John Ling on vibraphone and percussion.
In case of rain, the performance will be held at the Buckland-Shelburne Community Center. Call the Arms Library at 413-625-0306 with questions.
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.