Children’s Beatrix Potter Tea Planned April 24

COURT HOUSE — On April 24 from noon to 2 p.m., Access to Art will host its second tea celebrating Beatrix Potter, and featuring regional actors Alison J. Murphy and Jim Maher narrating the life of Ms. Potter, her brother Bertram.
They will read some of her animal tales at the Doctor’s Inn, 2 N. Main St.
Depending upon the crowd, possibly at the Old Courthouse for the readings.
Tickets are $25 for adults, and $l0 for children. Children must be escorted by an adult.
The tea will feature tea sandwiches and pastries. Everyone should attend in their finest clothes to enjoy a formal tea in a gracious Victorian setting.
Since the days of Aesop, sometime in the 5th century B.C., parents have presented children with correct behavior, and amusing anecdotes, and bits of wisdom through the use of animals.
The Fox and the Grapes and the Tortoise and the Hare and other stories with morals, cloaked in animal personalities, have long been with us. Aesop lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 B.C.
His fables are some of the most well known in the world. Beatrix Potter follows in that tradition.
Potter, born in South Kensington, London, on July 28, 1866, came from well-to do parents who spent their summers in the Lake Country. They did not work, but lived on their inheritance, and gave Beatrix little opportunity to mingle with other children.
Although her brother, Bertram, was sent to boarding school, she remained at home with her many pets. She had frogs, newts, ferrets and even a pet bat. She also had two rabbits–the first, Benjamin, and the second, Peter, whom she took everywhere on a little lead.
Jim Maher, a regional actor, and Alison J. Murphy, an East Lynne regular, and a great lover of all things Beatrix Potter, will present the characters of Beatrix for the enjoyment of children.
Access held its first Beatrix Potter Tea in 2007 and both teas were sold out and very popular.
“We were continually asked to do it again, but the actors were otherwise engaged. Since this winter was so wild, we did it after Easter this year, following the storms and floods. We will follow this with four art opportunities in May and June to study with Janet McShain, graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Arts, who will give children and parents an opportunity to draw from live animals in the style of Beatrix Potter. McShain won the Packard Prize at Pennsylvania Academy for animal studies. She also won many other awards there including the Deena Gu Prize, Donaldson Award, and the Fine Purchase Prize, the Bergman Prize, Stimson Prize, Thouron Prize, and the Louis Sloan Award, and ultimately, the coveted award for exceptional achievement. Call Access to Art at (609) 465-3963 to sign up.
“We bring quality arts programming here, and we consider children and their education very important. Instead of the T.V. ratings game that presents over sexualized, violent fare, for the sake of ratings, and the news deluged with gossip, murders and bad behaviour, and obsessions with celebrity culture, we prefer to indulge the natural curiosity and innocence of children with healthy stories that stimulate imagination, morals, curiosity and a sensibility that will create a society not driven by sex and violence. We don’t wish to perpetrate power, violence, sex and thievery which is all over the news and the programming on T.V. Innocence is children is a valuable asset and we are interested in nurturing that.” Barbara Beitel said.
The event is a benefit for both the Sam Maitin Summer Chamber Music Festival, the 13th, but also the Renaissance Festival scheduled for Oct. 2-3 this year.
To reserve seats, please call Access to Art at (609) 465-3963. You may send your checks to Access to Art, Inc., 4l7 E. Pacific Ave., Cape May Court House, N.J. 08210