Sherron Burns, left, and Ashley Johnson are organizing an evening of creative artistry at Library Park Saturday night. (Facebook/Sherron Burns)

By Angela Brown

Art in the park

Artists planning whimsical shadow puppet show, dance at Library Park

Jun 10, 2019 | 3:37 PM

Why dabble making silly shadow puppets alone in your room late at night when you can head to the park and take in a performance of animated art with friends and family under a moon-lit night instead?

Sherron Burns and Ashley Johnson will host an event called The Moon and Moving Heart at Library Park in North Battleford Saturday, which is comprised of a shadow play, an interpretive dance piece, and an ancient art known as ‘Cranky Theatre.”

“It’s an old concept they revived in the ’60s,” said Birgit Lessing, who is also involved in the Cranky Theatre show.

To create Cranky Theatre she and Burns will move two spools of paper or other materials across a frame using a hand-crank device, similar to screening a movie.

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“It’s a very old-fashioned way of (telling a story),” Lessing said, adding the story is based on a murder-mystery narrative.

Lessing compares the play to a hybrid Cranky Theatre meets shadow-puppet show.

During the first part of the evening, Burns will perform her play called The Moon She Glows, using puppetry and shadow play. This will be followed by a dance performance called The Moving Heart by Regina-based artist Johnson. The evening will cap off with a Cranky Theatre story called Darlin’ Corey – a sad tale of “a gal on the run with a gun and her corn whisky”. The show also includes music by Raven She Hollers.

The event starts at 9:30 p.m. in the park beside North Battleford Library on June 15. In case of rain, organizers are planning to move the show to another venue. People are invited to bring their own blanket or chair to take in the performance.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow