Trusty Sidekick Theater Presents CAMPFIRE at University Settlement Today

The Performance Project @ University Settlement and Trusty Sidekick Theater Company (TSTC) will co-present the world premiere production of Campfire-- a new play developed specifically for audiences from ages 2 to 5. The production will run for two consecutive Saturdays (today, May 10 and May 17) with performances at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at Speyer Hall in the University Settlement, located at 184 Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002.

Somewhere in the city, there is a tent. Inside this tent, there is an entire forest. And inside every tree trunk, and under every rock, there is a story. Trusty Sidekick invites you and your favorite 2-5 year old to join us as we gather around the campfire. Together we'll gaze through our binoculars, look for shooting stars, and entertain porcupines with a good joke. As the rangers say, "you never know when you might come across a bird, a mountain peak, or a pine cone that might need closer inspection."This intimate theater experience for the youngest adventurers will use innovative puppetry, poetry and immersive staging to conjure the sights and sounds of a vibrant forest. Approximate run time of the show is 40 minutes.

The production is directed by TSTC Artistic Manager Spencer Lott. Featured artists include Jamie Agnello, John Gasper, Spencer Lott, Natalie Ann Mack, and Jason Vance.

Now in its third residency at The Performance Project @ University Settlement, Trusty Sidekick Theater Company developed Campfire using its innovative model for developing theater for a younger audience. Through an artistic partnership with the Early Childhood Program at the Settlement, the devising team, lead a series of creative play and story development workshops during which students offer their ideas and acted as dramaturgs, informing the devising process of the artists as they created these shows. The devising team consisted of Jamie Agnello, John Gasper, Natalie Ann Mack, Jason Vance, Alex Hayes, Jessie Cannizzaro, Spencer Lott, and scenic designers Christopher and Justin Swader.

Director Spencer Lott is a freelance artist and actor who specializes in designing, fabricating, and performing puppets for film, television, and live stage productions. Spencer has been an Emerging Artist at the O'Neill National Puppetry Conference and is an Artistic Manager for Trusty Sidekick Theater Company (NYC). Recently he was puppet designer for the World Premiere of Molly Shannon's Tilly the Trickster at the Atlantic for Kids. In October of 2013 Spencer directed an original short puppet film, Melvin the Birder, for Heather Henson's Handmade Puppet Dreams. He has been a Works in Progress Artist at the Childrens Museum of the Arts, a Guest Artist for Theater Development Fund's Stage Door program and is a member of the teaching artist ensemble at the New Victory Theater in NYC.

Tickets for Campfire are $10 for kids and $15 for general admission, and can be purchased online at : http://campfire.brownpapertickets.com or at the Speyer Hall box office one hour prior to each performance.

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