Creative learning and growing opportunities at Merry Barn
Story Location:
417 River Road
Edgecomb, ME 04556
United States
Storytree Theatre at the Merry Barn - Ready, Set, PLAY! - $250. This 11-week series begins Tuesday, Sept. 27: Kids in grades 1-4 (Tuesdays, 3:30 to 5 p.m.) and grades 5-8 (Thursdays, 3:30 to 5 p.m.). Performances on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and Thursday, Dec. 15. Join Teralyn Reiter, founder of Storytree Theatre and teaching artist extraordinaire, for an 11-week theatre journey. Under Teralyn's gentle guidance, kids will write, act, create sets, and produce their own play. Teralyn earned her MFA in Acting from the University of Montana. Since then, she’s worked with a variety of theatres including American Conservatory Theatre, and the Montana Repertory Theatre, where she brought professional theatre and theatre education to schools and reservations. Teralyn continues to work as an actor, a playwright, a director, and a Teaching Artist. She most recently produced The Only Woman in the Room: The Francis Perkins Story, receiving rave reviews across the state.
Songwriters Night - A concert for all ages. Saturday, Oct. 1. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., concert at 7. Admission: $15 in advance, $20 day of event. Emilia Dahlin and Sorcha Cribben-Merrill join their jazz vocal harmonies with the poetry of folk music, while honoring vintage rhythms and their stylistic origins. Their songs unveil mesmerizing tales, charming vignettes, and raw bluesy grooves as they swap guitars, accordion, drums, and vocal improvisations. Joining forces on stage, they embody what is possible when two musicians support each other through challenges of “going it alone” in the work of launching new projects, sustaining creative partnerships, and aligning their values with their work. Fueled by their Wednesday morning “creative accountability sessions,” removing barriers to their creative process made space for this special duo.
Community Writes! - Ages 18 and up. $10/session, at the door. First Wednesday of the month beginning Sept. 14; Oct. 5, Nov. 2 and Dec. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Join Kelsy Hartley to explore creative memoir writing prompts, that support incorporating our own stories into their most “true” form, using exaggeration, mixing of characters, and elaboration. Each session begins with an embodiment exercise to bring the whole body into a writing experience. From this fully engaged place, stories and memories flow freely. We’ll explore “memory snapshots” and continue to open up themes and stories behind these images. In each monthly gathering we will read, write, and share together. Kelsy is a writer and healer, and believes that creative embodiment returns us to health and vibrancy.
Heroine’s Journey - Ages 18 and up. $240. One Thursday a month: Oct. 13, Nov. 11, Dec. 8, Jan. 1, Feb. 9 and March 9 from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. Join Alijah Sheer, writer and art therapist, for Heroine's Journey. Using the structure of the 12 stages of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, the Heroine's Journey will utilize collage-making techniques to design visual writing prompts. This will allow participants to create personal Heroine's Journeys from childhood to the present moment. Influenced by Seena Frost's SoulCollage, Gestalt psychology, and mythology, participants will create images which speak to their unique and personal journeys from the Ordinary World and the Call to Adventure, to their Return to the Ordinary World or Home. Group members will explore their own personal histories, challenges and triumphs, revealing magical "elixirs/knowledge" achieved on their powerful Heroine's Journey.
Merry Jesters - Ages 7-12. $85 (includes published book). 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 or Saturday, Dec. 3. This group, inspired by the whimsical wit and wisdom of author Lemony Snicket, is designed to reinforce the gift of laughter and ability to spread joy, even in the most challenging of situations. Participants in this young author/illustrator’s group will choose a few of their favorite and funniest “mom” and “dad” jokes to illustrate and share. The completion of this collaborative team effort will result in creation of a hardbound, illustrated joke book. The final draft will be submitted for printing in a format with an option to publish. All participants, author/illustrators will receive a hardbound copy of the book.
Wisdom from Your Future Self - Ages 14-19. $75. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6 or Sunday, Dec. 11. Calling all emerging adults interested in delving deep into their truest desires for their future. Who are you? Where will you live? Who will you spend your time with? What will you do with that time? One year from now, five years from now, and far into the future? In this workshop, emerging adults, ages 14-19, are invited to create unique visual prompts and write heartfelt postcards from their future selves to their present selves. Participants will explore personal histories, relationships, hopes, dreams, wishes, and fears to guide decision making in the many choices and challenges they will face as they progress from early adulthood to independence.
For more information, or to ask questions, call 207-752-2018 or visit https://www.merrybarn.com. The Merry Barn is at 417 River Road in Edgecomb.
