New exhibit and Peppercorn Theatre play highlight the popular Halloween tale.
Just in time for fall, families can experience the classic spooky story of Sleepy Hollow in a hands-on way. Kaleideum has opened a new exhibit in The Studio at Kaleideum Downtown to accompany Peppercorn Theatre’s fall adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. As visitors enter the room, eerie sights and sounds will make them feel as if they are walking into a forest late at night. Tree-covered windows and walls set the mood as an animation of the Headless Horseman plays and German waltz music fills the air. While in Sleepy Hollow, visitors can:
- Learn an improvised waltz by following dance steps printed on the floor.
- Pretend they are the Headless Horseman and toss “jack-o-lanterns” to scare the book’s three main characters: Brom, Ichabod, and Katrina.
- Don a bonnet or a tricorn hat and see their own faces projected as a ghost.
- Create creepy sound effects at the Foley station, where a coconut becomes horse hooves and old jeans become the wings of an owl flying overhead.
In October, Kaleideum’s Peppercorn Theatre will present The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: A Workshop Performance. High school students from Forsyth County collaborated with Peppercorn artists to bring this new script to the stage for the very first time! The story is familiar: When schoolteacher Ichabod Crane moves to the town of Salem, he finds a quiet settlement with an impressive collection of local ghost stories. But strange happenings in the nearby woods of Sleepy Hollow lead Ichabod to wonder — are the stories just local legend, or are they something more?
The play is recommended for ages 6 and above. Performances will take place at both Museum locations. Kaleideum Downtown shows are October 18 at 6 pm and October 19 at 11 am and 2 pm. Tickets for these performances are $5 (+tax) per person and can be purchased in advance at peppercorntheatre.org. On Sunday, October 20, the play will be performed as a part of Kaleideum’s annual Truck & Treat BOOsted fundraiser and will be included in that event’s admission price.