Top: Folks gather around a bonfire to warm up and toss in their gloomies. Above: The final panel of the puppet show encourages the crowd to head to the bonfire. Left: After shedding some layers and gloves, people gathered around tables to share in good food and conversation.
The winter solstice— the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night—is an event celebrated by cultures the world over. Cook County is no exception as a stalwart crowd gathered at North House Folk School on Wednesday, December 21 to watch the annual Winter Solstice Puppet Show performed by the Good Harbor Hill Players.
Under a clear winter sky, the audience enjoyed a shadow puppet play that detailed the joys and sorrows of winter, complete with scenes of frantic geese, frolicking otters, and an overburdened snowplow. The parable was woven together by the narration of the Winter God, voiced by Marco Good, who cautioned that northern residents have two options when faced with winter— embrace it by enjoying the outdoors and cozying up to the fire, or ignore it by watching TV and heading to warmer climes.
The show ended with the entrance of a band of rowdy and mischievous krampus walking through the crowd as the band played a rendition of Meghan Trainor’s All About That Bass. Music throughout the play was performed by Barb LaVigne on the ukulele, flute, and vocals; Yvonne Mills on the guitar, glockenspiel, and vocals; Jonathan Steckelberg on the bass; Marco Good with percussion and vocals; and Betsy Bowen providing sound effects and vocals. The many shadow puppets were created by director Jim Ouray, Andrew Ouray-Anderson and up to 20 other community volunteers.
After the performance the crowd was encouraged to “burn your gloomies”—a symbolic act of writing grievances and woes on scraps of paper and tossing them into a bonfire. Afterward people gathered inside to warm up and share a potluck as well as each other’s company for the long night.
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