Say it! Sing it! Play it! In Cherokee

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For Immediate Release 

Media & Event Contacts:
Amy Danielson, Marketing Coordinator
amy at zpuppets dot org or 612-245-2020
Shari Aronson, Creative Director
shari at zpuppets dot org or (612) 724-1435 x 2

Z PUPPETS ROSENSCHNOZ PRESENTS

SAY IT! SING IT! PLAY IT! IN CHEROKEE

A FAMILY-FRIENDLY SING-A-LONG ADVENTURE
TO HELP KEEP ALIVE AN ENDANGERED LANGUAGE 

Recommended for ages 3-103!

Insert DATE, TIME and LOCATION

(City) DATE, 2024 — How can YOU help keep alive an endangered language? By singing it loud and proud with a Turtle and Wabbit! 

Z Puppets Rosenschnoz announces performances of Say It! Sing It! Play It! in Cherokee on DATES. Learn about the Cherokee language through this family-friendly musical adventure into an endangered language.

Grandmother Turtle is upside down. Turtle and Wabbit must find a way to help her get back on her feet. Jump into the fun with catchy songs and lovable characters by award-winning Z Puppets' performers, Cherokee tribal member Chris Griffith, with Shari Aronson.

During childhood visits to his grandparents in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Chris begged his elders to teach him Cherokee. He became the first in three generations of his family to learn Cherokee. “TV shows like Sesame Street, Electric Company and Schoolhouse Rock really made an impact on me as I was learning English as a child,” says Griffith. “Say It! Sing It! Play It! is the show I wished for as a Cherokee language learner.”

Say It! Sing It! Play It! In Cherokee, directed by Anishinabe artist Julie Boada, taps into the power of playfulness to activate the Cherokee language. Sing along, and in less than one hour, learn how to count to three, make the basic sounds, say hello and thank you in Cherokee! 

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Watch a trailer: https://zpuppets.org/sisipi-video-trailer
Interview: Sanctuary Interview on KFAI
Story: MinneCulture podcast

"This is the most fun language revitalization event I have ever attended!"
— Melissa Olson, MIGIZI Native American Youth Media Center

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Writer/Performer/Designer Chris Griffith is the co-Creative Director of Z Puppets Rosenschnoz, an award winning performing and  teaching puppetry artist and enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Chris developed Say It! Sing It! Play It! in Cherokee, with support from the NDN Collective, Tiwahe Foundation and Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Chris got his start as a juggling street performer and has a B.A. in Anthropology from Macalester College.

Performer Shari Aronson, Z Puppets’ Co-Creative Director, earned a M.A. in Drama Education from University of Arizona. She has developed interactive environments and written plays for Minnesota's History Center, Science Museum and Children''s Museum. Shari's stage adaptation of beloved children's book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins has been produced by theaters across the country, including Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre in 2020.

Director Julie Boada is an Anishinabe artist, storyteller, puppeteer and arts educator. Julie has worked regionally and nationally with Little Coyote Theater, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre, Z Puppets Rosenschnoz, and the MN History Center. Julie has earned support from the MN State Arts Board and the Jerome Foundation and has a B.A. in Studio Arts and American Indian Studies from the University of Minnesota.

Z Puppets Rosenschnoz

Z Puppets’ mission is to bring people of all ages and abilities into the power of playfulness, through performances, workshops and feats of imagination. Z Puppets delights children and their adults with the inventive blend of hand-crafted puppetry, quirky humor and whimsical music. Since 1998, the company has created 30+ original shows — from a glow-in-the-dark performance of cell division to a mindfulness musical. Led by Creative Directors Shari Aronson and Cherokee tribal member Chris Griffith, Z Puppets has earned honors and support nationally from the Jim Henson Foundation, Network of Ensemble Theaters, Tour West, NDN Collective, Puppeteers of America, Parents' Choice, Creative Child Magazine, plus, 41 Minnesota State Arts Board grants. 

Z Puppets’ superpower is engaging people in complex topics through the arts. Many families tell Z Puppets they share ideas and jokes from their shows for years afterwards. Evaluators describe their work as “sticky” — delivering lasting impact. A career highlight has been seeing the stickiness of SAY IT! SING IT! PLAY IT! IN CHEROKEE (SISIPI).

Shari and Chris consider it a great honor to lead people into sharing laughter and making meaning of the world through the arts. Thus, their company motto: Behold! The Power of Playfulness. Learn more at zpuppets.org

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