Greetings from New York and New Jersey!

We've wrapped up our 22nd summer season, and are gearing up for the fall with a series of performances at Sunshine Children's Hospital in Ossining, NY. It was a summer that took us from California to New York, with gigs in New Mexico, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. Literally from coast to coast, and now we coast into the fall season, as summer library programs wind up and school assembly programs haven't begun gearing up, so we can take a moment to oil the cranks and gears. Beginning this month, we're available for programs along the East Coast this fall.

We have migrated our web site from Activated-Storytellers.com to ActivatedStoryTheatre.com. Please update your bookmarks! We have also installed WordPress on our travel blog so now you can leave comments and we can write back! Be sure to check out one of our latest entries 18 things that have changed in 18 years on the road

Act!vatedly Yours,
Dennis and Kimberly Goza
The Act!vated Actors

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In This Issue

• Seeking Sponsors
• Back to School Special
• Labor Day
• Hofus the Stone Cutter
• September Shows
• A!S Podcast: Damon and Pythias

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Seeking Sponsors

We have started a new program. Our goal is to raise $400 so we can donate a show to a deserving school. With your help we'll be able to bring theatre to students with Cerebral Palsy in New Jersey this Fall. We only need $150 more to reach our goal. Your donations are appreciated.

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Back to School Special

Schools save 40% on Water Wonder Tales shows booked in September. Offer limited to schools in New Jersey, Delaware, parts of New York (eastern) and the Philladelphia area. Subject to availability. Just ask for the discount.

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Labor Day

Sept. 6 is Labor Day, so we thought we'd take a look at some of the folklore involving laborers of various sorts.

In many "little" folktales, especially of the humorous variety, the common laborers – peasants, miners, servants, millers and fishermen – are central characters (although more often they are of lesser stature – sometimes literally, as with the seven dwarfs). But as a rule, they are not characters of the heroic sort. Since in the old days there were so many people working in such back-breaking occupations, and they were generally the ones who made up the stories, it stands to reason that they craved the escapism of hearing about the exploits of characters they considered more adventurous: princes and knights and soldiers and sailors and professional giants.

Even when the heroes were closer to home, they often represented trades that entailed more danger or at least feats of physical prowess: hunters, cowboys and lumberjacks, for instance. It was the lowly woodman who rose to the occasion to rescue Red Riding Hood; having honed his ax on trees, he was quite ready for the big bad wolf when he came along.

One notable peasant who rose to grand heights is the Russian hero Ilya Muromets, the son of a farmer who became a mighty champion to fight off invaders and liberate his people. The lesson here, of course, is that although the common people may be common, they are strong enough to fend for themselves.

The truly heroic characters among the common folk were often laborers who made things: stonemasons, shoemakers, carpenters, etc. This may stem from the just admiration that we all have for anyone who can take raw materials and transform them into something new. Seeing the exquisite garments that some tailors are capable of making, one might well conclude that they would be crafty enough to defeat a giant. Likewise with shoes: a good cobbler surely could defeat a dragon. And sometimes their work is so good they must have little elves helping them.

Even so, strong female characters are just as relatively uncommon among the laboring class as they are elsewhere in the world of folklore. And when they do perform beautiful work, they are sometimes penalized for being too proud of it – as were Arachne and the mother in "Rumplestiltskin". Perhaps this reflects the fact that in patriarchal societies, craftsmanship was simply expected of women and so it was not considered anything unusual – it certainly wasn't because women didn't labor.

Since physical strength was considered an especially prized trait, it's not surprising that the blacksmith should strike such a majestic pose in the collective psyche. Longfellow captured this image in his famous poem "The Village Blacksmith", which touts the nobility of the trade. Perhaps he was inspired by such mythological figures as the Greek Hephaestus (Vulcan in Latin) and the Norse Thor. These gentlemen were the deified blacksmiths of their respective cultures, and also symbols of power; they even had the ability to cause thunder by wielding their hammers. The hammer is an especially potent symbol of power, being used by so many trades, and having the obvious potential to create, destroy and/or transform. John Henry died with his hammer in his hand, but not until he defeated the newfangled mechanical device that threatened his livelihood. And more recently we have Will Turner in "Pirates of the Caribbean", whose powers may not be so supernatural, but he certainly makes a dashing figure onscreen. Clearly, there's still something appealing about a character who's a superb craftsman.

Here's hoping that you will have a not-too-laborious September, and that all your activities will be a labor of love.

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Hofus the Stone Cutter

A Japanese Legend

Once upon a time in Japan, there was a poor stone-cutter, named Hofus, who used to go every day to the mountainside to cut great blocks of stone. He lived near the mountain in a little stone hut, and worked hard and was happy.

One day he took a load of stone to the house of a rich man. There he saw so many beautiful things that when he went back to his mountain he could think of nothing else. Then he began to wish that he too might sleep in a bed as soft as down, with curtains of silk, and tassels of gold. And he sighed, "Ah me! Ah me! If Hofus only were rich as he!"

To his surprise, the voice of the Mountain Spirit answered, "Have thou thy wish!"

When Hofus returned home that evening his little hut was gone, and in its place stood a great palace. It was filled with beautiful things, and the best of all was a bed of down, with curtains of silk and tassels of gold.

Hofus decided to work no more. But he was not used to being idle, and time passed slowly - the days seemed very long.

One day as he sat by the window he saw a carriage dash past. It was drawn by snow-white horses. In it sat a prince, while before and behind were servants in suits of blue and white. One was holding a golden umbrella over the prince.

When the stone-cutter saw this, he began to feel unhappy, and he sighed, "Ah me! Ah me! If Hofus only a prince might be!"

And again the same voice that he had heard on the mountain answered, "Be thou a prince!"

Straightway Hofus was a prince. He had servants dressed in crimson and gold, and he rode in a carriage with a golden umbrella over his head.

For a short time he was happy, but one day, as he walked in the garden, he saw that the flowers were drooping, the grass was dry and brown. And when he rode out he felt the hot sun burn him in spite of his umbrella.

"The sun is mightier than I," thought he, and then he sighed, "Ah me! Ah me! If Hofus only the sun might be!"

And the voice answered, "Be thou the sun!"

Straightway the great sun he became. He burned the grass and rice fields. he dried up the streams. Rich and poor alike suffered from the terrible heat.

One day a cloud came and rested in front of him, and hid the earth from his sight. He was angry and cried, " Ah me! Ah me! If Hofus only a cloud might be!"

And the voice answered, "Be thou a cloud!"

Straightway a cloud he became. He floated before the face of the sun, and hid the earth from it.

Then day after day the cloud dropped rain. The rivers overflowed, and the rice-fields were covered with water. Towns were swept away. Only the great rocks on the mountainside stood unmoved midst the flood.

The cloud looked at them in wonder, then he sighed, "Ah me! Ah me! If Hofus only a rock might be!"

And the voice answered, "Be thou a rock!"

Straightway a rock he became. Proudly he stood. The sun could not burn him and the rain could not move him.

"Now, at last," he said, "no one is mightier than I."

But one day he was waked from his dreams by a noise--tap! tap! tap!--down at his feet. He looked and there was a stone-cutter driving his tool into the rock. Another blow and the great rock shivered - a block of stone broke away.

"That man is mightier than I!" cried Hofus, and he sighed, "Ah me! Ah me! If Hofus only the man might be!"

And the voice answered, "Be thou thyself!"

And straightway Hofus was himself again - a poor stone-cutter, working all day upon the mountainside, and going home at night to his little hut. But he was content and happy, and never again did he wish to be other than Hofus the stone-cutter.

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The Village Blacksmith

Under a spreading chestnut-tree
  The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
  With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
  Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long;
  His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
  He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
  For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
  You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
  With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
  When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school
  Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
  And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
  Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,
  And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,
  He hears his daughter's voice
Singing in the village choir,
  And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice
  Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
  How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
  A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling,—rejoicing,—sorrowing,
  Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
  Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,
  Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend.
  For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
  Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
  Each burning deed and thought.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

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September Shows

The schedule below does not reflect our full itinerary, only those shows that are open to the public. All shows are free, unless otherwise indicated. For details please see our tour schedule on line or Facebook Fan Page

• 9/21/2010 at 4:00 PM Sharon Public Library, Sharon, MA - Catch Captain Jack Sparrow by Zephyr
• 9/22/2010 at 3:30 PM Seaford Library, Seaford, DE - Audience Participation Tales by Kimberly

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Now Booking

We are now scheduling shows in the following areas/times:

• Northeast during September, October and early November
• Southeast during November, December and January
• Mid-west this February and March
• West Coast in April and May
• Libraries nationwide during Summer 2011

Our next show, opening in June 2011, will feature stories to tie in with the Summer Reading Program theme of  "One World, Many Stories"

• Orpheus (Greece)
• The Fourth Question (China)
• The Egyptian Cinderella (Egypt)
• The Hat Seller and the Monkey (Africa)

Send a booking request.

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Act!vated Stories Podcast: Damon and Pythias

Our latest podcast comes to you from Philadelphia, the birthplace of the U.S. And the "City of Brotherly Love" Which seems like an appropriate place to present a story about friendship.

"Damon and Pythias" is a Greek legend about two friends who were even closer buddies than Damon and Affleck. It was reported by many ancient authorities as being a true incident that occurred sometime in the 4^th Century BCE in Syracuse, during the reign of the tyrant Dionysius the Elder. Regardless of how much truth there may be to the story, it has come to symbolize the ultimate friendship, to such an extent that Shakespeare alluded to it as such in Hamlet.

We offer this tale on the 18^th anniversary of our departure from San Francisco and embarking on our extended tour of duty across the U.S. And while our trek hasn't been as ill-fated as that of Pythias, it has had its adventures and misadventures. Here's to the next 18!

Direct download: DamonPythias.mp3

More A!S Podcasts: http://activated.libsyn.com/

Subsribe with iTunes

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