Don’t miss this unique theatrical event!
We are pleased to welcome New Hampshire’s Pontine Theatre to Tamworth with their original and intimate staging of A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett and a recitation of Robert Frost’s poem The Star Splitter.

TWO RURAL-LIFE OBSERVATIONS

Sarah Orne Jewett’s A White Heron, published in 1886
This short story is about Silvia, a young city girl who is living with her gandmother in the country. Sylvia is searching for her cow in the woods when she hears a whistle and hides in the bushes. A hunter spots her and asks to stay at her grandmother's house. Sylvia is initially reluctant to take him in, but he is polite and offers to pay her $10 if she tells him where to find the white heron he’s spotted in the area. Sylvia eventually warms up to the hunter, but is horrified when she sees him kill birds. She must decide whether to tell him where to find the heron’s nest. 

This is Pontine’s fifth staging of Sarah Orne Jewett’s stories. Born in 1849 in South Berwick, Maine, Jewett was the daughter of the town doctor. As a child, she often accompanied him on his rounds to rural farms in the area. She would sit and listen to family members talking together while waiting for her father. She came to love the wit and wisdom of these country folks and they became the subject of her writings as an adult.

Robert Frost’s The Star Splitter, published in 1923
This poem explores the conflict between societal expectations and individual passions. A farmer’s reckless pursuit of a telescope leads to the loss of his farm and home. This loss initially evokes ridicule from the townspeople. However, their subsequent contemplation reveals the importance of forgiveness and understanding. Frost uses the image of a telescope, “a star-splitter,” as a symbol of the farmer’s unconventional path toward cosmic understanding.

Jewett (1849–1909) and Frost (1874–1963) were writing, published and widely-appreciated within the lifetimes of the Drs. Remick.

“Pontine Theatre is a small miracle. The theatre has used puppets, mime and stagecraft to convey visions of the past to modern audiences for more than 35 years. Artistic Directors Margueritte Mathews and Greg Gathers conspire to fascinate the contemporary mind with original works based on the stories and literature of New England. There’s really nothing else like it anywhere.” ~ NH Magazine

Tickets: TBD  Ticket sales begin in March 2025. 
For ages 14 and above; seating is limited to 40 attendees.
This production is 45 minutes long. Interaction with the artists and viewing of the “toy theatre” is possibe after the performance. Light refreshments will be served.

This event is part of our Spring at the Farmstead schedule.

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ABOUT PONTINE THEATRE
From the Theatre’s website

“Since 1977, Pontine Theatre (shown in the top image) has been an active particpant in the development of actor-based theatre, creating work that is engaging, innovative and original. Co-Artistic Directors, Marguerite Mathews and Gregory Gathers, have produced over fifty original works. Creating and performing these works, Pontine has introduced their unique form of theatre to audiences throughout New England, transforming audience interest in gestural theatre, puppetry, toy theatre and storytelling into enthusiasm for this distinctive synthesis of forms.

“In choosing projects for our at-home performance series and subsequent tours, we endeavor to reflect the interests of the audiences we serve. We are fortunate to live and work in a region with a particularly rich history and a citizenry deeply interested in this legacy. As other cultural organizations work to preserve historic landmarks and significant architecture, we have dedicated many of our performances to celebrating classic works of New England literature: some well-known, others obscure gems. We also create works based on original research that explore various aspects of New England culture and history.

“...Our intimately-scaled chamber productions are an ideal fit for the small town audiences.... The intimate scale of our productions reflects an aesthetic choice to magnify the theatrical power and artistic integrity of our wok through concentrated attention to the details of each element comprising the whole.”