Multi-Sensory Puppetry with “Green” Lesson at Long Island Children’s Museum

Garden City, NY, February 14, 2010 --(PR.com)-- The Puppet State Theatre Company of Edinburgh, Scotland will present their only NY area performances at the Long Island Children’s Museum Theatre on Saturday, February 27 at 1 and 3 p.m. The internationally acclaimed theater company will present The Man Who Planted Trees, an inspirational tale that shares a powerful message about ecology and environmental sustainability; demonstrating how one man’s determination, dedication and faith can change the world. In this multisensory performance, audiences not only experience sights and sounds, but will be able to smell forests and flowers and feel the mist and rain. The production is a magical blend of puppetry, comedy and unforgettable storytelling suitable for children ages 5 and up.

Winner of International Performing Arts for Youth 2009 “Victor Award,” Total Theatre Award 2008 for “Story Theatre” and Eco Trust’s “Eco Prize for Creativity,” The Man Who Planted Trees is adapted from Jean Giono's 1953 classic short story where a French shepherd sets out with his dog to transform a barren wasteland. The Provence shepherd spends most of his life planting thousands of acorns and other seeds where there was once only dead scrubland. In this production, the narrator finds the shepherd and visits him several times over many years and across two World Wars. The story is presented by the narrator with his canine assistant, simply known as Dog.

LICM Theater Manager James Packard first saw a performance of The Man Who Planted Trees at the 2009 IPAY conference and was captivated by the story’s poignant, inspirational message and the timeliness of themes addressing global environmental issues and man’s relationship with nature. He felt the performance would be a wonderful highlight for LICM’s theatergoers: “The Man Who Planted Trees celebrates the power one person can have to change our world, our families attending will have much to share and talk about after experiencing this show.”

The Puppet State Theatre Company is one of Scotland’s leading theater companies. Founded by Richard Medrington and based in Edinburgh since 1992, Puppet State Theatre Company has won international acclaim for its first-rate shows and garnered rave reviews for theater productions such as A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh and The Gospel Truth For Cats and Dogs.

Performances are funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts “ArtWORKS for Young People Presenting and Touring Initiative.” Last year, grants from the ArtWORKS for Young People Initiative enabled LICM to bring Mexico’s renowned puppet theatre company Marionetas de la Esquina to LICM Theater.

Tickets are $5 with museum admission ($9 for the performance only). Following each performance, visitors will have the opportunity to meet and engage with the performers. Advanced ticketing is available two weeks before each theater performance unless otherwise noted. Tickets may be purchased with a credit card at (516) 224-5801 until 4 p.m. the day before the performance. There are no phone sales of the day of an event. Same day tickets may be purchased at the box office on a first come, first served basis. All advance tickets are non-refundable.

All activities will be held at the Long Island Children’s Museum, 11 Davis Avenue, Garden City, NY. Children must be accompanied by an adult. General Museum admission: $10 for adults and children over 1 year old. Under 1 year old Free. $9 seniors. Additional fees for theater and special programs may apply. For additional information, contact 516-224-5800.

Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10am-5pm. Closed Monday.

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