Pennsbury Manor celebrates Pennsylvania’s multicultural history with the Colonial Crossroads River Festival.
Related Article: A Holy Experiment
By: Megan Sullivan
Before William Penn sailed from England to Pennsylvania in 1682
as its new proprietor, he wrote letters to the colonists and Indians inhabiting
the land, assuring them of their freedom. He promised he would not be a tyrannical
governor and that they would live under laws of their own making. Penn had hopes
of building a diverse population, advertising for settlers before leaving his
native country.
With Pennsylvania’s already diverse culture, including Swedes
and Dutch, this hope wasn’t too difficult to achieve. Penn brought an eclectic
mix of settlers who were escaping persecution for their religious beliefs and
eager for a democratic way of life.
Pennsbury Manor, the reconstructed 17th-century country estate
of Penn located along the Delaware River in Morrisville, Pa., will celebrate the
diversity of Pennsylvania at its Colonial Crossroads River Festival Sept. 10-11.
The two-day multicultural event brings together the many cultures that played
an integral part in shaping the early colony. Groups representing the English,
Welsh, Scottish, Irish, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Native American,
African and Afro-Caribbean cultures will be represented. From music and dance
to puppet shows and hands-on activities, three separate staging areas will provide
ongoing entertainment.
Lara Murphy, head of interpretive research and coordinator of
the event, says it was born last year after 25 years of hosting the Manor Fair,
a re-creation of a traditional 17th-century market fair. "We decided it was time
for a change," Ms. Murphy says.
"One of Penn’s ideas when he came to Pennsylvania was to invite
different groups," she continues. "He had what he called a Holy Experiment…
it had to do with how many people from different religious backgrounds and ethnic
backgrounds came to live there."
Performers at the event include African instrumentalist Mogauwane
Mahloele (a Yardley, Pa., resident), the Timoney Irish Dancers, Swedish fiddle
music by Ditt Ditt Darium, Native American flutist Eagle Warrior and the Appalachian
clogging group FiddleKicks. Historical interpreters, demonstrations and workshops
also will be featured.
Musicians and puppeteers Tom and Marianne Tucker have been performing
at Pennsbury Manor’s September event since 1985. During the festivities, they
will put on two puppet shows and two musical performances each day.
The Tuckers, who met in high school, have been performing together
musically since 1972, opening for such acts as The Clancy Brothers and Michael
Cooney. "We have quite a history together," says Mr. Tucker, who lives with his
wife in Abington, Pa.
In the early ’80s, the duo began performing some Colonial-era
pieces and later formed a Colonial-era quartet called Spiced Punch. "Primarily,
we play music you would have heard at the time in pubs or at various social encounters,"
he says. During the festival, they will showcase music from England, Ireland and
some of Colonial origin from the United States. Between the two, they play about
a dozen instruments, but will mainly play the guitar, mandolin, whistle and percussion
at the event.
In 1981, the pair formed a puppet company, Tuckers’ Tales Puppet
Theatre, having learned the trade through puppetry workshops and conventions.
Making all of their own puppets, staging and scenery, Mr. Tucker says he has no
idea how many puppets they have stored in trunks and bags in their garage. In
total, the Tuckers perform 22 different shows with anywhere from one to 20 puppets
in each.
The couple first started performing at the Pennsbury Manor when
a friend who worked there asked if they would consider putting together the 18th-century
Punch and Judy puppet show for the 1985 Manor Fair. "The first place we
performed ‘Punch and Judy’ was at the Pennsbury site, and now we perform it at
various sites around the East Coast," Mr. Tucker says.
In addition to performing their version of Punch and Judy,
the Tuckers will present St. George and the Dragon, based on 18th-century
mummers’ plays.
So meet down by the river, grab some Caribbean or French food,
learn to Irish step dance, and listen as the sounds of Celtic music and African
drums blend together just as the cultures that shaped our early colony did.
The Colonial Crossroads River Festival will take place at Pennsbury Manor,
400 Pennsbury Memorial Road, Morrisville, Pa., Sept. 10-11, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Three
staging areas will provide ongoing entertainment. Admission: $8, $5 ages 6-17;
free under 5; $25 families, $7 per person for groups of 10 or more. For information,
call (215) 946-0400. For a schedule of performances and workshops, visit www.pennsburymanor.org