And telling stories is important for any culture, said master storyteller Judith Heineman. She - along with her performance partner, musician Daniel Marcotte - entertained children and adults at Middfest Friday and Saturday with lyrical retellings of fairy tales and songs. They’ll continue at 3 p.m. today in the Youth Park on the Plaza.
“And (storytelling) is especially important today in the age of video games, Internet and television,” said Heineman.
Among the stories Heineman and Marcotte told to a small crowd in the Youth Park was the rest of the “Sleeping Beauty” story — the one created by 17th century French author Charles Perrault. Many of Perrault’s stories were the basis of the stories told by the Grimm Brothers and Walt Disney.
The stories told by the performers from Illinois captivated 8-year-old Caleb Cruse and his grandmother, Debbie Egner, as they laughed along with the 7 p.m. show Saturday.
“It was pretty funny,” said the third-grader at Mayfield Elementary in Middletown.
It didn’t take much urging from Egner to get Cruse to listen to stories, who wanted to hear them. As for the rest of Middfest, Cruse had just one word: “Awesome.”
After a disappointing Friday night crowd because of the rain, Middfest spokeswoman Kathryn Wood said Saturday “had just been magnificent.”
While the festival focuses on France this year, Wood said they always have, in true American style, a melting pot of culture.
“We have had a number of people return year after year to participate,” said Wood. “Even though we focus on a particular country … a lot of the aspects incorporate the international flavor.”
This is Middfest’s 32-year celebrating a different country. A number of the performers at this year’s Middfest are from past celebrations, including from Peruvian, Japanese and Indonesian dancers, Wood said. And a number of the food court booths celebrate other culture, such as with Mexican, Italian and Chinese fare.
“This has character,” said Marcotte. “It really distinguishes Middletown.”
Heineman thinks “it’s great” to see the city celebrate and honor a different country annually, which as with a story can eliminate distrust and stereotypes.
“Once you know a person’s story, it’s very hard to hate them,” she said.
Middfest continues at noon today with the demonstrations and displays inside the Middletown City Building and around Donham Plaza.
The 2012 Middfest concludes at 6 p.m. with a finale by Cabaret Paree, SMAG Dance Collective and Sylhouettes at the plaza stage.
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