Community Stages to Present STORYWALK: A Theatrical Journey Through Folktales From Around The World

Community Stages' ODDBITS Trunk & Trek Troupe will return with StoryWalk: Elements at Play, an immersive outdoor theatre experience featuring engaging international folktales. Audience members will journey through Scott Springs Park as actors bring stories from Ireland, Niger, the Seminole people, and Mexico to life in an interactive and family-friendly performance. This event is presented in partnership with Ocala Recreation and Parks.

Each folktale is presented as a mini-play, with actors becoming every element the story requires-characters, landscapes, animals, and even the natural forces-inviting the audience to co-create each world through imagination and presence. StoryWalk: Elements at Play is a collaboration between performers and audience, turning a walk in the park into a shared theatrical adventure.

The cast of young performers, ages 10-17, includes Zoe Cox, Charlotte DeClerk, Lilly Gonzalez, Emily and Robert Skipper, Riley Webb, and Alexis and Jonathan Williamson. These talented actors make up the ODDBITS Trunk & Trek Troupe, the core ensemble behind StoryWalk: Elements at Play. The stories were adapted for outdoor performance and are directed by Terry LeCompte, Community Stages' founder and director.

This year's event also introduces a fresh creative addition: ArtiFacts TR3, Community Stages' first-ever adult troupe, made up of parents of CS students. Featuring Ashley Artista, Megan and Tim Hilt, Sebastian Lombardo, Katherine Skipper, and Jaime White, ArtiFacts TR3 brings their flair and fun to the lineup with one of the featured folktales.

"This event celebrates the power of storytelling to connect cultures and ignite imaginations," says LeCompte. "By blending theatre with nature, we invite audiences to experience these timeless tales in a way that's engaging, playful, and truly unforgettable."

The StoryWalk format encourages movement and interaction, offering families a one-of-a-kind way to experience live theatre outdoors. As audiences move from scene to scene, they'll uncover the heart, humor, and wisdom in each folktale, brought vividly to life by the Community Stages' Trunk & Trek Troupes.

The event will take place at Scott Springs Park on Saturday, April 5, 2025. There will be two showtimes at 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Admission is free and open to the public. If you can't make it to this performance, there will be an alternate show on Saturday, April 12, at 2:00 PM at the Marion County Library Headquarters.