The Mettawee River Theatre Company presented a free community performance of The Ringdove at Hudson Crossing Park on Friday, July 12 at 8pm to an appreciative audience of nearly 150 people.

The Ringdove, first produced by the company in 1988, is drawn from THE PANCHATANTRA, a collection of allegorical tales whose origins reach back over 2,000 years, to ancient India. The central characters are a crow, a rat, a turtle and a gazelle, whose adventures, behavior and relationships reflect many aspects of human nature. The production tells the story of the creatures’ growth in friendship with each other, as they achieve strength and harmony through cooperation and understanding. The show will incorporate a range of masks, puppets and other visual elements.

“The Ringdove draws on ancient wisdom but also speaks to us in the here and now with humor and zest,” said Mettawee Artistic Director Ralph Lee. “It’s a tale of friendship and generosity that seems a timely response to the state of affairs that surround us today."