4/29/2010

Free event features children's concert

The Natchitoches Main Street Program will continue the Alive After 5 program on Saturday, May 22 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a children’s outdoor concert and performance.

Dee Scallan will present interactive storytelling programs featuring her book “Moby’s Black Bayou Adventure” from the CrawfishTales series at 5:30 p.m. The presentation will acquaint students with the animals, insects and plants native to Louisiana. The audience will be involved in the storytelling through music, role-play and arts and craft activities.

Dee Scallan, renowned author, storyteller and Montessori pre-school teacher for 30 years, is the Louisiana author of the CrawfishTales book series starring Moby Pincher Crawfish. Her illustrator is an eight year old young man named Daniel Myers. A television pilot of the Moby Pincher books is currently in production targeting reading comprehension.

Natchitoches favorites, Monty and Marsha Brown will also perform that evening at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. At these performances, children can sing along to songs and play a variety of instruments such as the wash board, tambourine, spoons and others.

The Browns have written many songs together, including "Would You Fly?" and "Cajun Christmas" used in the movie Steel Magnolias. Both these songs are on their second CD, "Dancing Cajun." The Browns spent over a year working for the Louisiana Folklife Center at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. They now reside in Shreveport where Marsha organized the regional film commission and became the first executive director. Monty produced a weekly folk music program as well as many live concerts and radio articles on the arts for regional public radio in Shreveport. Monty and Marsha still perform music regularly in schools, libraries and at festivals, fairs and farmers markets. They are listed on the official Louisiana State Artists Roster.

All events are free to the public and tourists and residents alike are encouraged to become more engaged in downtown arts and culture. Additional Alive After 5 events will be held on June 12 and July 4.

Alive After 5 is supported by a grant from the Louisiana State Arts Council, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the Shreveport Regional Arts Council. Additional funding is provided by the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission.

For more information about Alive After 5, call the Main Street Office at (318) 352-2746 or toll free at (866) 941-MAIN.