Kirsten Stephens & Dean Hatton, Movement Theatre & Mime Artists.
November 26 and 27. Creative, innovative, playful… mesmerizing. Poetic, energetic, funny.
ORANGE CITY – There is no white face. There is no French black and white striped outfit. But there are lots of laughs. There is a great deal of beauty. And there’s food for thought.
That’s the Twin Cities Daily Planet, talking about movement theatre and mime artists, Kirsten Stephens and Dean Hatton. They’re coming to Orange City and Sioux Center November 26 and 27, sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council.
Stephens first discovered the magic of physical theatre in her church in Oklahoma City, then spent three years studying with Marcel Marceau at his Paris school: L’Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame de Marcel Marceau. She spent a year and a half touring Europe with Mime de Rien.
Hatton also studied with Marceau, in the States, and at the Goldston and Johnson School for Mimes in Gambier, Ohio. He has performed in schools across the country. More recently, the two became a performing duo, based in the Twin Cities.
Their inspirations include not only Marceau, but also Red Skelton, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball and Monty Python.
Stephens and Hatton will do a public performance – a tribute to Marceau – Tuesday, November 27 at 7 p.m. at Northwestern College’s DeWitt Theatre Arts Center. Tickets are $4 for adults and $1 for students, at Dove Bookstore, Orange City Arts Council and Northwestern’s Theatre Department.
The ensemble will do an assembly at Sioux Center Christian School, a short performance at Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community, and workshops at MOC-FV High and the Sioux Center Public Library Monday. On Tuesday they will do a performance as part of the Northwestern College chapel service, workshops at Northwestern and Dordt colleges, and an evening public performance.
Contact the Orange City Arts Council for more information: phone 712-707-6514 or email ocArts@orangecityiowa.com.
Sponsor of the residency is the Orange City Arts Council, with support from Patrick and Susan Giannantonio and the Northwestern College Theatre Dept.
“Mime is a much-maligned theatrical form. Dean Hatton and Kirsten Stephens … clearly know that, but they also know that magic can be created with invisible props and scenery. Leaving painted faces aside in favor of openly expressive ones (as well as elastic limbs), the duo has created five scenes with a keen sense of the overlap between comedy and tragedy. They may pull every mime trick out of the trunk in an opening chase scene, but they also use the form to take audiences to far deeper places.”
-Ron Hubbard, Pioneer Press
“Don’t look away, you just may miss a small surprise,” said the Twin Cities Daily Planet. “The story lines twist and turn, as nimble as the performers’ antics.”
SCHEDULE
Monday, Nov. 26
Sioux Center Christian School: 10:40-11:40 am: 45 -minute performance
Landsmeer Retirement Community: 1:45 to 2:15 pm: performance
MOC-FV High School: 2:53 pm – 3:53 pm: workshop
Sioux Center public library: 4:30 – 5:30 pm: workshop (preregistration required)
Tuesday, Nov. 27
Dordt College theatre students: 9:25 – 10:25 am: workshop
Chapel at Northwestern College: 11:05 am: performance
Northwestern College theatre students: 3:30-4:30 pm: workshop
Northwestern DeWitt Theatre: 7:00-8:30 pm: public performance followed by Q & A
Photos of Kirsten & Dean’s performances & workshops at Northwestern College, Dordt College, Sioux Center Public Library, Sioux Center Christian School, MOC-Floyd Valley High School & Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community. See more photos at facebook.com/ocarts
