Welcome Yule: A Midwinter Celebration Shea Theater in Turners Falls, MA

As art imitates life, the songs, stories and plays in this year’s show highlight the pleasures of passing on the seasonal traditions of family and community. Join the families of Welcome Yule as they sing and dance away winter’s darkness and call back the warmth and light of spring.

The Welcome Yule players will be hosting their annual Midwinter Celebration with delightful music, dance, songs and stories at the Shea Theatre in Turners Falls on December 13th-15th, 2013. This yearly show close to the winter solstice celebrates the return of light at the heart of winter’s darkness.

The Swedish tradition of Santa Lucia Day is featured in this year’s 29th annual production of Welcome Yule. As local wassailers make their way through their English village they invite a newly arrived family from Sweden to take part in the festivities. The English villagers and Swedes share in each others’ customs, songs and dances as they celebrate the light together on the longest night of the year. Traditional carols, wassailing songs, shape-note tunes and Welcome Yule classics will be featured, with plenty of opportunities for audience members to join in the singing. Dancing is also featured, with Swedish couples dances, a Molly Dance, and a perennial favorite, the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance…

When asked about the inspiration for this year’s show, Artistic Director Rachel Roy blushes slightly “Well, it actually goes back to Kirsten, one of the original American Girl dolls, which had just come out when I was eight years old. I remember reading about Santa Lucia day as part of her Christmas Story, and that story has always stuck with me. Then a few years ago one of our families arrived in the Shea Theatre green room in traditional Swedish dress with candles and wreathes, and sang for us. It was beautiful, and I thought, we really need to do a show with this in it.” Rachel has directed Welcome Yule but this is her first time writing the show: “As I developed the show I pictured all these little magical moments and scenes that I hope will translate to our audiences.”

Welcome Yule: A Midwinter Celebration will be performed at The Shea Theater, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, December 13th & 14th at 7:30pm, and December 15th at 2pm. ($) Reserve tickets at 413-323-4239. For information, call 413-323-4239, go to www.WelcomeYule.org, or visit Welcome Yule’s Facebook page.