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Make We Joy Dec. 2 at Connecticut College

November 16, 2007

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Connecticut College will host "Make We Joy," an annual pageant celebrating the winter solstice and a local holiday season favorite, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Harkness Chapel.

A celebration of life´s triumph over darkness and death, "Make We Joy" has delighted generations from all over New England since 1981. Community talents from many backgrounds and cultures fuse to create an entertaining and unique seasonal event enjoyed by all ages.

Derron Wood, a 1988 Connecticut College graduate, will direct this year´s production, as he has since 1990.

The performances are free, though donations at the door are gratefully accepted. Seating is limited, so plan to arrive early.

With music, dance and drama, the cast of "Make We Joy" recalls the celebration of the winter solstice that was old even in ancient times, said Platt Arnold, a founder of "Make We Joy," member of the steering committee and a 1964 graduate of Connecticut College. Through the ages, Arnold added, people have gathered to celebrate the presence of light and hope. This spiritual recognition of the returning light persists today in the traditions throughout the world.

The longing for life and its renewal, more prevalent as the days grow shorter, is recognized in "Make We Joy" with such diverse pieces as the eerie Abbots Bromley Horn Dance and the exuberant mummers play.

Among the most selective private liberal arts colleges in the nation, Connecticut College enrolls 1,900 men and women from 41 states, the District of Columbia and 42 countries. The college is known for putting the liberal arts into action through interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships, student-faculty research and service learning. Founded in 1911, the college operates under an 86-year-old honor code. The college is located at 270 Mohegan Ave, New London, about two hours by car from Boston and New York. The 750-acre campus is an arboretum overlooking Long Island Sound. For more information, visit www.connecticutcollege.edu.

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For more information contact: Amy Sullivan (860) 439-2526; amy.sullivan@conncoll.edu