Vilar Center’s STARS series returns with Mistatim on Nov. 6

The Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC) continues its annual STARS (Supporting The Arts Reaching Students) series with Mistatim, Friday, November 6, at 10 a.m., then again at 12:30 p.m.

Mistatim, a play rooted in Native American mythology, will be performed by internationally renowned group, Red Sky of Toronto, Canada. Red Sky has been continuously praised for their innovation and artistry, leading the way in world indigenous performances in dance, theatre, and music. Tickets to Mistatim are $11 children/$14 adults and are on sale now at the VPAC Box Office (970.845.8497/www.vilarpac.org).

The story begins with a wooden fence which is all that separates Calvin’s ranch and Speck’s reservation. The two characters are worlds apart although an improbable friendship is struck between the two 11-year-olds when Calvin attempts to ‘break’ the only horse no one else can tame. Working together to tame the horse, Calvin and Speck cross the divide of their own cultures. Through the journey they learn to communicate with each other, the horse, and their families.

This performance offers themes of cultural history, environmental care, responsibility and empowerment. The play is based around Native-American oral communication, storytelling and traditions. It also incorporates lessons on animals and their habitat’s, all while showcasing intricate choreography. The show is recommended for grades 3-8 and the audience will experience drama, suspense and humor in this action-packed performance.

“Audacious, astonishing… magnificent in the scope of its imagination, mysterious in its beauty,” says the Globe and Mail.

Mistatim is the fourth STARS performance of the winter series which features eleven shows in total. All STARS performances are offered to promote artistic, educational and cultural enrichment to local students with in-school workshops and daytime shows at the theatre. Each year, the Vail Valley Foundation and Vilar Performing Arts Center offers free transportation and tickets to more than 6,000 Eagle County students to provide them the thrill of live performing arts. Single tickets are available for each STARS performance and can be booked directly through the VPAC Box Office (970.845.8497) or online at www.vilarpac.org.