Giant Dinosaurs, Aesop’s Fables And More At Ashe Civic Center Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre brought smiles and laughter to the audience at the Ashe Civic Center Monday evening during the glow-in-the-dark puppet musical, “Aesop’s Dinosaur and Ant”. Photo by Fawn Roark By Fawn Roark The Ashe Civic Center was full of smiles and laughter Monday as the Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre brought their giant glow-in-the-dark puppet musical, “Aesop’s Dinosaur and Ant” to Ashe County. “Aesop’s Dinosaur and Ant” is a musical featuring several nine-feet-tall puppets such as Aesop himself, a dinosaur and a live actress who plays the part of the ant, the TryANTasaurus. The lazy dinosaur in the musical just did not seem to get the ant’s point that it is best to “Prepare today for tomorrow” and as a result ensured the extinction of the dinosaurs. “Bits ‘N Pieces Giant Puppet Theatre entertained students from Fleetwood and Mountain View Elementary Schools on Oct. 6th and 8th. The evening community performance delighted a large and diverse audience of toddlers to grandparents,” Executive Director Jane Lonon explained. “The Arts Council looks forward to the return of Bits ‘N Pieces Theatre. They brought Ashe County an entertaining, professional fun show with a wonderful Aesop moral.” Shadow puppet productions of two of Aesop’s fables were also shown on film before the giant puppet show and each short fable also presented important lessons to the crowd. The shadow puppet of the Tortoise and the Hare instructed the audience on the importance of never giving up and told kids, “No matter what the hurdle, remember me, the turtle.” A second puppet story of the Horse and the Stag showed kids to be careful of what you wish for. “Be careful of what you give up to protect what you already had,” the fable explained. Four Ashe County youths also participated as ants with the TryANTasaurus during the first act of the production. The six giant prehistoric puppets were performed by puppeteers Jerrod Bogard and Danny Ray Polson. Actress and puppet builder Holli Rubin performs as wee TryANTasaurus. Bits ‘N Pieces Theatre has been creating original musical productions adapted from classic children’s literature for 25 years. From their studio in Tampa, Florida, the company annually travels throughout Florida and across the United States. In June, 2003 the company performed at the 7th International Festival of Puppet Art in Prague, Czech Republic. Aesop’s Dinosaur & Ant has previously toured to Taiwan, Japan and Germany. According to the Bits ‘N Pieces website found at www.puppetworld.com, in 1961 at age eight, Holli Rubin won a county recreation department’s storytelling contest in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with her rendition of “Millions of Cats.” That story has since become the inspiration for a puppetry workshop she has taught to teachers and children throughout the United States. Rubin stars in Aesop’s oldest fable, The Dinosaur and the Ant, one of twelve original musical productions created by Bits ‘N Pieces. Rubin credits the local community arts programs of her childhood as the impetus for her career today. She says it was there she received the encouragement that ignited a creative spark that still burns brightly within her. Though they tour extensively in this country and four other countries, Rubin says she often sees herself in the faces of her young audience. “Just think. There are children in the audience much like I was — dreaming of being an artist or an actor — and now, I can show them how dreams do come true. Our performance may be the very encouragement needed to unleash that child’s creative spirit.” From script and design to actual building and choreography, it takes two years to produce one complete giant puppet production. Over 100,000 children annually see a Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre production. Their shows may be seen in a variety of venues and settings. Next year’s puppet production will be Peter Rabbit.