Folk tales and crafts will come together in Tempest Productions’ upcoming show in Hoboken.
At “Something Whistling in the Night,” kids can enjoy tales from different cultures around the world like Native American, African, South American and Asian.
Some highlights include “The Fox and the Drum,” from India, and “The Stonecutter,” from China and Japan. There are also several origin stories that tell how rainbows were made, why chickens and hawks are enemies, or why mosquitoes buzz.
Director Lissa Ramirez says the event is a good chance for kids to learn about other traditions.
“A lot of times kids aren’t exposed to a lot of other cultures,” said Ramirez. “At this event, you learn to appreciate it and learn a bit of history through song, dance and rhythm — it’s fun!”
Three to four actors will perform up to eight of the tales, with fun crafts between each stories. For example, for “The Boy Who Drew Cats,” the group will lead kids in creating their own mask.
“We have such a range of audience members, from babies to older kids, and we wanted to include everyone in the craftmaking,” she said.
There will also be participatory portions, meaning there’s something for everyone, she said.
“If you’re that hands-on child, you’ll like building the craft. If you’re the kid who likes the spotlight, you’ll like the games in the participation part of the story,” she said. “We don’t want this to be a static experience where someone just sits down to watch. This is more ‘Here I am, I am experiencing this with you.’”
“Something Whistling in the Night” will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Elysian Park in Hoboken. For more information, visit TempestStudios.org.