Bright Star Touring Theatre brings live, interactive virtual performances to Randolph libraries

ASHEBORO – Asheville’s Bright Star Touring Theatre will present multiple live, interactive Zoom performances of two plays for children, Aesop’s Fables and Once Upon a Time, from June 16-25 as part of “Imagine Your Story,” the Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program.

Sign up for a show at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer and receive a Zoom link.

Once Upon a Time (above);
Aesop's Fables (below).

The shows are assigned to each of the seven libraries, but anyone can sign up for a time that’s best for them. For Once Upon a Time:

• Asheboro, 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 17;
• Archdale, 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25;
• Ramseur, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 18;
• Randleman, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25;
•  Seagrove, 3 p.m. Thursday, June 18.

 Times for Aesop’s Fables are:

• Franklinville, 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 16;
• Liberty, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 25;

 In Once Upon a Time, Lenny and Mabel – “The Greatest Actors in the World” – bring two classic fairy tales to life. Dance at the ball with “Cinderella,” and challenge the giant with “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

In Aesop’s Fables, stories like “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,’ “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Lion and the Mouse” leave audiences with a message that is both timely and timeless.

With buildings closed at present and traditional in-person activities unavailable, the library instead is engaging kids in June and July with some 72 virtual performances and storytimes, reading rewards, and take-home activities keyed to the adventurous theme or to weekly topics. Options to participate vary from library to library – find details, a complete schedule, video links and library contact information at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer.

“This year more than ever, it’s important that kids keep reading during the summer,” says Samantha Colwell, head of Children’s Services. “Staying engaged with reading and learning helps children pick up where they left off when the next school year starts. Library summer programs provide a fun, no-pressure way to do that.”

For those who lack Internet access at home but have Internet-capable phones, tablets or laptops, drive-up WiFi is available in the parking lots of library buildings between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.

The Bright Star appearance is sponsored by the Friends of the Randolph County Public Library with support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. It’s part of a national effort to keep children reading during the break from school; research shows that kids who read during the summer are better prepared to begin the next school year.

For more information, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summer, call the Asheboro library Children’s Room at 336-318-6804, or contact your local library.