Looking for the perfect theatre experience this Halloween season? This Fall, Alberta Theatre Projects is thrilled to bring Calgary audiences a brand-new adaptation of Washington Irving’s ghostly tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Produced in association with Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and brought to life by the twisted genius of The Old Trout Puppet Workshop, this world premiere adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow breathes exciting new life into the enduring and haunting tale of the Headless Horseman –– just in time for Halloween.
Ten years after the American Revolutionary War, in a country still haunted by the violence that created it, Ichabod Crane, a country school master, finds himself dispatched to a remote village North of the Hudson River: Sleepy Hollow. Here he tries to bring the inhabitants of this deeply superstitious hamlet into the 18th century. But secrets run deep, and not all is as it appears in this place still haunted by its past.
Photos supplied by ATP
With October fast approaching, the Headless Horseman will soon be upon us...so here are six things to get you primed and ready for when The Legend of Sleepy Hollow hits the stage.
- Besides the famous village in Westchester County, New York (where Washington Irving's famous tale takes place), there are at least 11 places in the world called "Sleepy Hollow" (not including street names like the one pictured above) –– including a small rural area in New South Wales, Australia! (Source: Geotargit.com)
- The Old Trout Puppet Workshop was founded on a ranch in southern Alberta in 1999 by Pete Balkwill, Pityu Kenderes, and Judd Palmer. The three learned to carve and build puppets and premiered their first show to “a bunkhouse full of cowboys and Hutterites.” (Source: OldTrouts.org) That show then went on to Calgary to the legendary High Performance Rodeo, and The Trouts have been dreaming up unforgettable theatre ever since. They have created and mounted ten mainstage shows and toured productions across Canada and into the United States and Europe. These talented artists also make sculptures, films, children’s books, music, and paintings, and have designed for productions at the National Arts Centre, Theatre Calgary, Vancouver Opera, San Diego Opera, and the Fort Worth Orchestra.
- The Old Trout Puppet Workshop are 2024 Siminovitch Prize Finalists. The Siminovitch Theatre Foundation recognizes, invests in, connects and inspires Canadian theatre artists who are redefining the stage, and the Siminovitch Prize is one of Canada's highest valued theatre awards. (Source: SiminovitchPrize.com)
- This isn’t the first time the work of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow co-playwright Anna Cummer has been featured on the Martha Cohen Theatre stage. Anna is also the playwright of In Wonderland, based on Lewis Carroll's Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, which first premiered as ATP's 2021-22 Family Holiday Show.
- The Old Trout Puppet Workshop are the creative masterminds behind the puppet design for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, yes –– but they are also designing the set, costumes, and other props. Anna Cummer and Old Trouts Pete Balkwill, Pityu Kenderes, and Judd Palmer all developed the story and adaptation, with Cummer and Palmer as co-playwrights of the play.
- Washington Irving was also the mind behind another legendary piece of folklore: Rip Van Winkle. Plus, Irving cemented the word “knickerbocker” in New York lore by penning his satiric A History of New York, which features the fictional character, Diedrich Knickerbocker. The word became forever linked to New York –– so much so that even New York City's iconic NBA franchise is named the New York Knicks. (Source: WestchesterMagazine.com, NBA.com/Knicks)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow runs at Alberta Theatre Projects from October 22 – November 9 in the Martha Cohen Theatre at Werklund Centre. Tickets are available now at albertatheatreprojects.com or by calling 403-294-7402.
This production also runs at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity on October 11, 14, 15 and 17 at the Jenny Belzberg Theatre. Visit the Banff Centre’s website HERE for tickets and information.