Wandering Theatre presents "The Dragon and the Wanderer"

The Dragon and the Wanderer is a family-friendly show that uses puppets, shadow, movement and music to tell the story of Grog the Neanderthal. Alone in a barren desert and searching desperately for food, Grog discovers an oasis where vegetation is lush and food plentiful. But this almost-paradise is the hunting ground of a menacing dragon, who takes pleasure in tormenting smaller creatures. Using courage and friendship (and telekinesis!), Grog and his new friend Little Bigfoot must outsmart the bully by facing the dragon in battle. Set to original music composed by cellist Rachel Icenogle, “The Dragon and the Wanderer” does not use language, and so needs no translation. Friendship and bravery are universal!
*PLEASE NOTE: During Grog's battle with the dragon, our stage transforms into a life size dragon puppet! This material might be scary for audience members under the age of 3.

Along with performances, we offer a 15 minute talkback, during which time we answer questions from the audience and give an inside glimpse into how our puppets work.

We also offer puppet-building and manipulation workshops. Participants will build their own shadow puppets, and learn to manipulate them to tell their own stories. These workshops can be specifically tailored to any age range, and can last from 1/2 hr to 2 hrs based on your time frame. We provide the materials–all you need is your creative spirit!

The Dragon and the Wanderer is the first endeavor of Wandering Theatre, the husband-and-wife-duo of Aaron Roberge and Leah Holleran. The show was built, workshopped, and previewed in Philadelphia, PA, USA. It made the journey to Europe in the summer of 2019, with pop-up street performances and as an official part of OFF Street in the Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes (World Puppet Theatre Festival) 2019. Aaron and Leah hail from the East Coast of the USA, where they have been performing and teaching professionally for nearly a decade. They are thrilled to present this wholly original production–hopefully the first of many they will build together.

Leah Holleran (Co-Creator; Performer) has worked professionally in the arts for over ten years, and is thrilled to embark on this new adventure of creating an original piece from scratch with her incredible partner. Onstage, she has performed Off-Broadway, regionally, and locally in musicals, plays, and dance pieces. She toured the country with Enchantment Theatre Company’s productions, which were her first foray into puppetry. She fell in love with it; she toured nationally for three years and company managed her third tour. She has also acted on film. In addition to performance and management, Leah choreographs and teaches dance, writes novels and short stories (mostly in the sci-fi and fantasy genres), and trains and coaches circus aerials (trapeze, rope, and silks).

Aaron Roberge (Co-Creator; Performer) is an actor, puppeteer, and Wandering Theatre's set designer. A graduate of the Bloomsburg University Theatre Department, Aaron lives and works with his recent wife Leah Holleran. He has most recently been seen in Artemesia as Oracio Gentileschi at South Camden Theatre Company, and A Christmas Carol as Jacob Marley (and various) at Walnut Street Theatre. He has facilitated workshops in puppetry, acting, and improvisation, and has worked as a substitute teacher for pre-K through middle school.

We require at least 10' (depth) x 15' (width) of level playing space. This can be outdoors (weather permitting) or indoors. If outdoors, the stage MUST be covered/shaded. If indoors, The Dragon and the Wanderer cannot be performed in spaces with ceilings shorter than 8ft. We require at least 1 electrical outlet to power our sound and lights.

For our puppet building workshop, we will need tables and chairs for the participants, but we can provide all other materials. For a workshop catering to more than 20 children, we require that at least one additional adult be available to help supervise.