Thursday, June 18, 2015
Mad World
Posted By Kali Cozyris on Thu, Jun 18, 2015 at 11:20 AM
Humboldt County is blessed with an abundance of creative enterprises. Those who say there's nothing to do here and that you need to hit the city for any (ahem) high art haven't yet discovered our thriving arts and theater scene. Humboldt offers world-class performance and expression, much of it inspired by and featuring the area's rural beauty and lifestyle. One such company cultivating the good stuff is the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre, which has been entertaining audiences far and wide for 40 years. So save your plane fare, seat yourself under the stars in Blue Lake and take in Dell'Arte's annual Mad River Festival from June 18 through July 19 ($250 Mad Club pass, events priced separately).
Now in its 25th year, the festival has grown from a small showcase of local, community-made plays to a full spectacle. This year's lineup features the wildly popular Mary Jane: The Musical III (right in line with Dell'Arte co-founder Jane Hill's vision of a "festival of original melodramas based on regional history"), the Big Top Family Series, the Red Light in Blue Lake adult cabaret, a Mad Lab featuring works-in-progress by DAI alumni, staff and faculty, the Humboldt Folklife Festival, Terra Incognita's international cast of acrobats and circus artists, and Around the World Week's celebration of talent from Japan to San Francisco.
Get out and enjoy the fruits of locally produced madness and merriment — the happenings from and in your own Humboldt backyard. For a schedule of events, visit www.dellarte.com. Tickets are available online, by phone at 668-5663 or in person at 131 H St., Blue Lake
