The Farmer and the Werewolf

Published: Feb. 20, 2013, 5:05 p.m.

"The Farmer and the Werewolf" is a tale from Ireland, a country that traditionally has spun many yarns about such supernatural and sometimes frightening critters. The werewolf in this tale, however, is not an entirely vicious monster; he’s also a human who is appalled by his darker side, and wants to make amends. This is also one of those folk tales about the importance of keeping a secret, and the sometimes dire consequences of failing to do so-- a story somewhere between Ali Baba and Lohengrin. As it happens, this motif figures prominently in "The Bridge and the Dream", a Middle Eastern story that we're currently preparing for our new production that opens this summer.

We just spent a week conducting a residency at Holy Family School in Jacksonville, Florida, and what a memorable week it was. After presenting two performances Monday morning, we settled in for a week of teaching workshops in theatre arts, writing, mask making, folk dancing and other skills related to our final project: a performance by the entire student body of our story of "How the Ice Cream Cone Was Invented". That's right: we turned what is normally a 2-person story into a 452-person story.

While we were in Florida, we returned to St. Augustine and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, with its specimens of all 23 known species of crocodilian (the only facility in the world to have all of them). This time, something new has been added: Crocodile Crossing, a zip-line/ canopy tour above the reptiles. They might look up at you eagerly hoping you'll fall, but it’s quite secure. Good thing: these fanged beasts may not be quite as terrifying as werewolves, but they’re close.

Happy Listening,

Dennis (Narrator, Farmer, Animals)and Kimberly (Wife, Werewolf, Neighbors, Animals)

  • See Act!vated perform live! Upcoming shows in Rogers, AR (2/23) and Farmington, NM (3/14) open to the public.