Published: 3/7/2018 5:51:57 PM
The trees are running with sap once again, and that means one thing for Piti Theatre Company: it’s time for the annual SYRUP festival.
SYRUP: One Sweet Performing Arts Festival, will be held at the Shelburne-Buckland Community Center, located at 53 Main St. in Shelburne Falls, on Sunday.
The ninth annual event celebrates maple season, starting with a pancake brunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pancakes, blueberry or plain, can be topped with local syrups and enjoyed while watching magic tricks and skits by Piti performers.
As the event’s name implies, the focus on syrup — which also involves syrup tastings — is then paired with a potpourri of internationally-acclaimed performances for all ages and music workshops.
Sandglass Theater will perform a puppet show named “Punschi” at 3:45 p.m. The performance features artist Jana Zeller, who will offer a puppet-making workshop after the show at 4:45 p.m. for ages 6 and up.
Piti’s “To Bee or Not to Bee” musical theater performance at 2:30 p.m. is meant to inspire audiences to act on behalf of pollinators while telling the comic, tragic and ultimately hopeful story of beekeeper James Van Happen. The SYRUP festival performance kicks off a series of regional and national tour dates this spring and summer.
Additionally, the festival will represent a release party for Piti musician-in-residence Carrie Ferguson’s debut album, “Greatest Hits, Vol. 1.” The new CD pulls together favorite songs from full productions and mini-musicals like “To Bee or Not to Bee,” “Innocenzo,” “Olde Coleraine” and “The Time Capsule.”
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and $5 for children 12 and under. One ticket provides access to both performances; the puppet-making workshop is an additional $7.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-838-3006, online at ptco.org/syrup or at the door. Email info@ptco.org to reserve a spot in the puppet-making workshop.