Liv Castor
We are all familiar with Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick, but joining Patrick as one of Ireland’s three national saints is St. Brigid, known as the patroness saint of Ireland. St. Brigid was an abbess who founded the abbey of Kildare and, in her honor, a perpetual fire was kept burning at Kildare for centuries. Her feast day is Feb. 1.
Hearthsong Folk Arts will host a St. Brighde’s Day Waulking Song Workshop at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Charles Brown Ice House, which is located at 56 River St. in Bethlehem.
Gaelic singer and speaker Liv Castor will lead attendees in learning women’s work song traditions from the Hebrides, Scotland.
Wool waulking (pounding and shrinking) is a centuries-old practice that occupied a huge place in women-folk life on the islands.
Attendees can learn song refrains (with easy pronunciation guides), sit in circle together, and “work the tweed” by candlelight, creating rhythm, feeling community, and connecting to history and seasonality.
They can stay afterwards to weave a 2026 St. Brigid’s cross. Materials will be provided.
Admission costs $10 to $15.
Transformative theater
Northampton Community College’s theater department will premiere “Circle Mirror Transformation,” a play about an adult drama class, at Lipkin Theatre, which is located at 3835 Green Pond Rd. in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County.
“Circle Mirror Transformation” is a play by Annie Baker, centered on drama classes at a community center in Vermont. It follows five adults in the center’s adult creative drama class as they navigate a series of acting exercises and, in the process, reveal their personal lives and vulnerabilities.
Marty, played by Laura Riker, is an acting teacher who leads the class at a Shirley, Vermont, community center in improvisation and other dramatic exercises.
The people who sign up for the class are Schultz, played by Chris Tempel, a recently divorced carpenter; Lauren, played by Maricel Wheatley, a socially-awkward high school junior; Theresa, played by Azelia Dos-Santos, a former actor; and Marty’s husband James, played by Nick Lopez. Marty takes the students through various exercises, as they act like trees, beds and baseball gloves. In one exercise, they act as one another and tell their life stories. As a possible romance begins, each member of the group slowly reveals himself or herself. In a final exercise, Lauren imagines herself meeting Schultz in 10 years, and they tell each other what has transpired.
The play explores themes of human connection, self-discovery, and the transformative power of theater. It is known for its quiet, realistic dialogue, awkward silences, and focus on the subtle shifts in the characters’ lives over six weeks, exploring themes of connection, vulnerability, and identity.
“Circle Mirror Transformation” opened off-Broadway in 2009 and received the Obie Award for best new American play.
The play is directed by Darah Donaher.
Understudies are Maria Gambino and Jameelah Gonzalez.
Tickets cost $5.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, at 2 (understudy cast) and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Rocking Bugs
Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem will present “Bugs: By Kaki King & Glitch” at 1 and 4 p.m. on Sunday as part of its family series.
King, an acclaimed rock guitarist, blends music and technology with the world in a fun-filled story about bugs, beetles, critters, and all things sugar. Inspired by her children, King has created an enchanting concert that combines music, light, and imagery to encourage children to think about nature, ecology, and the animal kingdom. As she plays, different notes feed information into her signature projection mapping program, triggering images of the busy and fascinating lives of bugs onto her guitar. Her “magic guitar” becomes a kaleidoscope of color and sound, illuminating the extraordinary world of bugs.
The runtime is 60 minutes.
Tickets cost $18 for adults and $12 for children.
‘Beetlejuice’ in Exeter
Reading Civic Theatre students will present “Beetlejuice JR.”
The ghost-with-the-most comes to the stage in this frightfully funny musical based on the beloved motion-picture-turned-Broadway-phenomenon. Lydia Deetz is a strange and unusual teenager, still grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with the whole “being dead thing.” Lucky for Lydia, she and her father move to a new house haunted by a recently deceased couple and Beetlejuice, a delightful demon with a real zest for life. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a world of pandemonium.
With music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominee Eddie Perfect and a book by Tony Award-nominated duo Anthony King and Scott Brown, “Beetlejuice” was nominated for eight 2019 Tony Awards, including best new musical. A viral “sucks-yes” on social media, this musical struck a chord with young theater lovers who adored its unabashed humor and emotional honesty.
Created for the generation that made it a hit, “Beetlejuice JR.” is a wacky theatrical party for all.
Tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, and $20 for students.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and Feb. 6 and 7 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday and on Feb. 8.
The theater is located at 4350 Perkiomen Ave. in Exeter Township, Berks County.
‘24-Hour Play Festival’
Touchstone Theatre will debut its “24-Hour Play Festival.”
Touchstone ensemble members and community artists will present a collaborative, creative, chaotic marathon as they work together to create five original performance in 24 hours.
Those who register will be asked to select which of the four types of participants they would like to be: playwright, director, performer, or technician. The registration for this event is on a “first come, first served” basis and open to all ages.
Playwrights will be randomly given a genre, a prop, and a line they must include, as well as all of their performers. They will then have from 7 p.m. on Feb. 6 to 7 a.m. on Feb. 7 to write a 10-minute play. Directors, performers, and technicians will then have from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 to produce the plays and get them ready to share. The final products that were created in 24 hours will be showcased at 8 p.m. on Touchstone’s stage.
Advance registration is required. There is a $10 fee, which will fund a pizza party for all participants.
Touchstone is located at 321 E. Fourth St. in Bethlehem.
‘Blithe Spirit’ at Charts
The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts (Charter Arts) Theatre Department will continue its 2025-26 season with Noël Coward’s mischievous comedy, “Blithe Spirit.”
When a novelist invites a medium to his home for a séance as research, things go hilariously wrong, summoning the ghost of his first wife and turning married life upside down.
This production is directed by Kelly Minner-Bickert and features a talented cast of young actors. Design credits include set and lighting design by Ellen Schmoyer, costume design by Amy Handkammer, sound design by Carlo Acerra and Kirk Longhofer, and props by Brett Mathews.
This delightful supernatural comedy of manners promises sparkling wit, unexpected twists, and laugh-out-loud moments for audiences of all ages.
“Blithe Spirit really is a masterwork in the genre,” Minner-Bickert said. “We chose the play not only because we know it’s a crowd pleaser, but for the benefit of our student actors, who through this process grow exponentially in developing their comic timing, delivery and character development.”
Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $14 for adults and $8 for students.
New exhibit in Boyertown
Studio B in Boyertown will celebrate the opening of an art exhibit entitled “Land” with a reception on Friday from 5 until 7 p.m.
The show will feature works in all mediums from area artists. The exhibit is free and open to the public and will run through April 19.
Artists were challenged to showcase art on any aspect of the word “Land.” This broad visual discussion on our world was left open to the artists’ interpretations and may include environmental, political, or cultural responses.
Charles Farrell, professional architect with an MFA in painting, is the juror for the exhibit.
Studio B Art Gallery is located at 39 E. Philadelphia Ave.