HUNTER — On Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m., the Catskill Mountain Foundation presents Cahoots’ ‘The Vanishing Elephant,’ a family-friendly spectacle recommended for ages eight and older, at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville.
Opu, a young boy in Bengal, dreams of one day becoming an elephant trainer. When he befriends Janu, an Asian Elephant, their friendship is the first step on an adventure so huge, it spans decades and continents. On their separate paths they face many challenges — fearsome encounters, stormy seas and strange new worlds.
Years in the future, Opu, now an old man, hears that world famous magician Harry Houdini will vanish an elephant, live on stage in New York City. Could it really be Janu, Opu’s old friend, so far from home? He too must bravely make the long journey into the unknown to find out.
This moving story of friendship, belonging and one incredible journey from Bengal to the bright lights of Broadway, presented by Cahoots NI from Belfast, Northern Ireland, was named a ‘Critics Pick’ in the New York Times, hailing it an ‘alluring spectacle’.
“The craftsmanship of the puppet and the flawless movements of the ensemble of puppeteers combine to give her personality and make a strong emotional connection with audiences of all ages,” Jenny Lee of The Irish News wrote.
‘The Vanishing Elephant’ is based on the true events of Harry Houdini, who in 1918 famously made a five-ton elephant named Jenny disappear on stage at the Hippodrome Theatre.
Elephants and other circus animals were notoriously mistreated by their handlers in the early 1900s. ‘The Vanishing Elephant’ contains dramatized representations of this abuse against Jenny and other puppet animals.
Cofounded by Paul Bosco Mc Eneany and Zoe Seaton in 2001, Cahoots NI combines the visual delight of theater with the age-old intrigue of illusion. They often develop work for specific sites, collaborating with artists across Northern Ireland to craft high-quality and inventive theatrical experiences for kids and families.
‘The Vanishing Elephant’ is produced by Cahoots, supported by Culture Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and presented in partnership with Belfast International Arts Festival with support from British Council NI.
Don’t miss ‘The Vanishing Elephant’ this Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m. at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center, 6050 Main St., Tannersville. Get tickets at catskillmtn.org/performances/#/productions-view.
The Catskill Mountain Foundation’s (CMF) aim is to provide educational opportunities in the arts for youth and lifelong learners, to bring the experience of the arts to the Catskill community, and to support artists and art organizations in the development of their work through residencies.
Since its founding in 1998, CMF has presented hundreds of music, dance, and theater performances; screened over 1,000 films to tens of thousands of audience members; provided studio arts classes to thousands of students of all ages; and served thousands of art-loving patrons in the Catskill Mountain Foundation Gift Shop.
The Catskill Mountain Foundation operates the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter, the Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville, and the Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts in Maplecrest.
Catskill Mountain Foundation is supported in part by New York State Council on the Arts, the Greene County Cultural Fund administered by the Greene County Legislature, The Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, The Royce Family Foundation, The Samuel and Esther Doctorow Fund, The Orville and Ethel Slutzky Family Foundation, Platte Clove Bruderhof Community, Bank of Greene County Charitable Foundation, The Greene County Youth Bureau, Marshall & Sterling Insurance, All Souls’ Church, Stewarts Shops, Windham Foundation, and by private donations.
