Cure your Cabin Fever with a Spook!

The gray days of March bring a kind of gloom.  The snow melts and fog rises from the ground giving our quiet town an eerie feel. If you go out walking alone, beware - the headless horseman is coming to Brattleboro this month!
New England Youth Theatre is presenting The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, an early American story by Washington Irving, directed by Peter Gould, and generously sponsored by The Bear Bookshop.
Peter says, "Sleepy Hollow is one of the first great Colonial American folk tales. Set in the rolling hills and dark hollows of the Hudson River valley, it's exciting and mysterious, with four memorable legendary characters: the awkward singing schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, the wealthy land-owner Balt Van Tassel, his blooming daughter--and only heir-- Katrina, and her suitor, the muscular braggart Bram Van Brunt. And there's a whole host of supporting townsfolk, farm animals, spirits, and school children."
In an exciting twist, Gould has decided to set the play in 1950’s rural America.  Be ready for bobby socks, pony tails, bomb drills, and possibly even some early rock ‘n’ roll. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will be story-theatre in the style of the two recent Kipling productions directed by Peter (Jungle Book and Just So) with the young ensemble doing all the chorus parts, physical moves, sound effects, dances, scary illusions, and general, rural, schoolhouse mayhem.

Don't miss this energetic fun-filled hour of youth theatre, right in the middle of cabin fever days March 12-21, Friday-Sunday.  Evening shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm and matinees are on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm.  Tickets are $11.50 for adults, $9.50 seniors, and $7.50 for students. To purchase advance tickets visit our website at www.neyt.org, call (802)246-NEYT, or come in person to the theatre at 100 Flat St., Brattleboro, VT. 

Golden Ticket Drawing!!!

On Wednesday, January 27 at 4 p.m., winners of New England Youth Theatre’s golden tickets from the Wonka-inspired candy bar sale, will gather at the theatre on Flat Street to draw their prizes. First up will be the first winners, Sam Grubinger from Dummerston and Tilden Remerleitch from Guilford, student costumers at NEYT who found the first golden ticket in late November, and plan to share their prize with fellow costumer Phoebe Martel. Next up will be 7-year-old Conall Halvey from Wardsboro who came to see Willy Wonka with his grandmother and left with a grin and a golden ticket. The third winner is David Petrie of Brattleboro, who brought his family to see the show and surprised them all when he opened his chocolate bar at intermission. The fourth winner is 10-year-old Zoe Baker of Putney who capped the special gala night festivities on December 18, by finding a golden ticket in her chocolate bar. 

      The fifth golden ticket winner has yet to come forward, although all the chocolate bars have been sold since late December. “We decided to go ahead with the drawing,” said Development Director Carlotta Cuerdon. “Although we are hoping a fifth winner will show up.”  Now is the time to check any unopened bars you may have, as the theatre has set the drawing date and time of 4 p.m, on January 27 as the deadline for producing the fifth ticket. Speculation on the missing fifth ticket ranges from an out-of-towner who didn’t know about the contest, or the story of the dog that swallowed a chocolate bar wrapper and all.

      Winners will be drawing for prizes including two $500 cash prizes, a $300 gift certificate to Vermont Artisan Designs, a pass for two to all New England Youth Theatre shows in 2010, and a $200 gift card from Gamestop. More information about the contest can be  obtained by contacting the theatre at 246-6398.

NEYTers Dig Improv

A group of NEYT students have been gathering weekly to bone up on their improvisational theatre skills.  Led by the beloved Sandy Klein, NEYT alum Andrew Marchev and Jane Baker, relatively new to the faculty, the “Monday Nighters” are building a formidable troupe.  Often you will find them performing at Elliot St. Café on Gallery Walk evenings.  They also can be found at Freaky Friday Games Nights, which happen monthly.