Family Storytime,

Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti

May 21, 2023, 11am
Café & Bookstore

On Sunday, May 21, Myth & Mouth presents Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, selected and told by educator Shayna Strype, as written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott.

In this playful story of a father’s difficult choice to reward one of his sons after they save him from a terrible danger, we’ll meet Anansi, the trickster spider, and his six sons from West Africa and Caribbean folklore of how the moon came to be in the sky.

During this edition of Myth & Mouth, Shayna invites participants to join her in telling the story of Anansi by guiding the group in a simple spider-making activity.

This event is free and open to all families, especially participants ages 3+. All are welcome to drop by, though prior registration is recommended.

Image from Macmillan Publishers

Shayna Strype is a multimedia artist and educator working in film, animation, and performance. Her work utilizes humor and a handmade aesthetic to explore personal and political narratives. Her most recent film, Our Mine, won Best Experimental Film at Brooklyn Film Festival and Dumbo Film Festival and screened at Palm Springs ShortFest, Ann Arbor, and Bushwick Film Festival, among others.  She received a 2020 Jim Henson Foundation Grant to create and perform MINE, a multimedia solo performance commissioned by Dixon Place Theater. She was the 2022 Summer Artist in Residence at the SVA Art Practice MFA program. Shayna taught theater at Friends Seminary for eight years. She works frequently with Pig Iron Theater Company, Trusty Sidekick Theater Company, and Mono No Aware in Brooklyn. She holds an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College. 

Series

Myth & Mouth

Myth & Mouth is a monthly storytelling series that invites children and their friends and families to listen and talk about a story from our bookstore related to our exhibitions. Together, story and teller (myth and mouth), create an approachable and playful environment for participants to discuss together.

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