Family and community take center stage this week with a children’s theater production at Riverside Theatre and a huge waterway cleanup day throughout the Treasure Coast.
The comedic family play “Puffs” runs this Friday and Saturday on the Stark Stage (the larger venue) at Riverside Theatre. Written by Matt Cox, “Puffs” may surprise audiences to learn that the story, which in part concerns a boy wizard who went to a wizard school and learned to conquer evil, is actually about something much more far-reaching – those who do not participate in grand destiny. The story is told from the points of view of three would-be wizarding heroes and their loyal followers, the Puffs. Director Kevin Quillinan, who is also in charge of the theater’s education program, calls the inventive play “hysterical and heartfelt.” While it explores the need for community in difficult times, “this show could not be more relevant to today,” he said. Although “Puffs” is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed or endorsed by J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, you probably won’t be able to avoid the comparison. The production is a result of Riverside’s children’s theater camp where students learned dance, music and drama in the mornings and then rehearsed in the afternoon. The production is music directed by Deborah Quillinan. It also has the benefit of a professional design team, including Emily Luongo, Anna Hillberry, William Gibbons-Brown and Lorraine Rhoden. “Puffs” premiered at the People’s Improv Theater in 2015, then moved to Off-Broadway, where it was nominated for an award for “Best Unique Theatrical Experience.” The Riverside Theatre for Kids production runs 6:30 p.m. Friday, and 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10. Riverside Theatre is at 3250 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772-231-6990 or visit RiversideTheatre.com.
Sweat off some of those “pandemic pounds” and do some good in the community on Saturday morning at Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup Day. This is a huge multi-community effort, comprising five municipalities, three counties, boaters, volunteers, businesses and organizations, united in an effort to clean up the litter spoiling our waterways and letting their natural pristine beauty sparkle. Site leaders will man 28 different sites over 125 miles of waterway from Blowing Rocks Preserve in Hobe Sound to Sebastian Inlet. Volunteers will be given water, T-shirts, supplies like garbage bags, and directions on exactly what to do with the trash they encounter. The annual event started in 2008. Last year, during the height of the pandemic, it was somewhat virtual, in that volunteers went out over the course of one week, on their own, and recorded what they picked up. This year’s event is somewhat a hybrid one, with both virtual and in-person trash cleanup. Event coordinator April Price expects more than 1,000 volunteers to show up. “We have a lot of boaters that come out, more this year than before,” she said. “And we have a whole lot of walkers and service groups, ages toddler to into their 90s. This is an event that anybody can work, doing as little or as much as they can. It all counts.” When they started the event, there were about 550 volunteers each year raking in about 11 tons of garbage. However, now the effort brings out twice as many volunteers bringing in about half as much garbage. Price sees that as a good thing because the word has gone out to keep our waterways clean. Nevertheless, there’s always trash to be found. “Last year, we had to make a line item for masks and gloves,” Price said. “We’ve had lot of flip flops, shoes, underwear … bicycles, shopping carts, air conditioners, batteries. By far, this one thing hasn’t been topped – a glass eye. That was probably the most unusual finding. It washed up on the beach next to Peck Lake Reef in Martin County.” Price is quick to add that this could not happen without the support of the entire community, from the Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast to marine businesses and more. Locally, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute will run the Vero Beach site at the Riverside Park boat ramp; the Environmental Learning Center will run the site in Wabasso off State Road 510 causeway; and the City of Sebastian will run the Sebastian Main Street Boat Ramp, Main Street and N. Indian River Drive. Other local sites are at Sebastian Inlet Marina and Vero Beach Municipal Marina. The event runs 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 772-285-1646. Sign up at TCWaterwayCleanup.com.
