Revels is a form of theater created by John Langstaff and his daughter, Carol. It began in the late '40s, when each Christmas a number of Langstaff family and friends would gather at their house in Brooklyn Heights, New York, to make music, sing carols, and sip hot wassail. Eventually John Langstaff fulfilled a long-time dream by presenting, in 1957, a "Christmas Masque for the Winter Solstice" at New York's Town Hall theater. In 1971 Carol and Jack and friends put together their own Christmas Revels in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The show was a great success and was performed year after year. Subsequently Revels, Inc. was founded in Cambridge to support the spread of Revels. Since then, Revels companies have appeared in Hanover, New Hampshire; New York City; Washington, D.C.; Oakland, California; Santa Barbara, California; Houston, Texas; Tacoma, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Boulder, Colorado.

Revels North History

Revels North, Inc. was established in 1984 after Revels, Inc. had come up from Cambridge for ten years to produce the Christmas Revels in Hanover.

Christmas Revels: Audiences in Hanover enjoy Revels so much that they return year after year and Spaulding Auditorium in Hopkins Center at Dartmouth College is invariably sold out. Many don't feel the Christmas season has actually begun until they've been to Revels. Each year the production explores a different culture or era to enlighten as it entertains. Revels North has celebrated the High Medieval, French Renaissance, Italian, Celtic, Russian, and Victorian English, among others. The multi-textured productions appeal to children, adults and senior citizens, and bring a fresh approach to family entertainment and communal celebration. You see the magic work as audience members reach out to hold hands during a quiet carol, or sing with the cast in a round, or join in dancing "Lord of the Dance" through the hall.

Summer Revels: An outdoor summer production of Revels North, Summer Revels has always been a "celebration of rural life" presenting a pageant of ritual song and dance, poetry and processionals that recall the timeless glories of summer through the traditions of the Old and New worlds. As a living museum of bygone agricultural skills and rural customs both Summer Revels and its current incarnation, the Solstice Festival, rely on old-timers for their knowledge and memories.

Solstice Festival: In 2000 Carolyn Frye introduced the Solstice Festival as part of The Summer Revels experience. In 2002 it was decided to have an admission-free Solstice Festival in Norwich in place of The Summer Revels. The festival experience of a parade, dance and singing workshops, crafts, children's games, jugglers, musicians and a Revels chorus has become very popular.

Shaker Revels: Shaker history reveals one way that a group focusing on community expressed their concerns and beliefs through all aspects of their lives: collective organization, rules, work, word, and worship. The Shaker community, with its rich tradition of songs and dances, is most appropriate for a Revels production. In 1989 the first Shaker Revels was held at the Lower Shaker Village in Enfield, NH. Weeks of research and immersion by the cast in Shaker culture preceded the performances so the portrayal of Shaker life had a commendable authenticity. The first act portrayed a Shaker community with its crafts and tasks, while the second act featured Shaker songs, dances, and rituals. The Shaker Revels was researched, written, and directed by Mary Ann Haagen of Enfield, NH. The Shaker show was last performed in 1994.

 

Page last updated 2008-03-16. ©2008 Revels North. All rights reserved.