Forest, 2026

Forest is a site-specific contemporary dance/theatre piece designed for two woodlands in east Central Vermont to be performed in 2026.

It is being created by Hannah Dennison, partnered by the artists: Ellen Smith Ahern, Leslie Anderson, Julia Barstow, Judith Chalmer, Jude Domski, Graydon Hanson, Marcy Kass, Linda Provost, Koa Ritz and Chloe Schafer. It will be performed by an ensemble of 20 vibrant dancers/musicians/narrators animating numerous places in the forest next to the quiet, seldom-traveled dirt road. The audience will move slowly along the woods road, watching each dynamic scene develop, learning about the forest along the way. Forest will celebrate the flora and fauna, the trees, the water, and air, and illuminate the relationship between art, people and nature.

Project Updates

Newsletters

September 8, 2026

Late August, 2026 Update

September 8, 2026

After two years of creating and planning, here we are at the beginning of the performance runs of Forest. We are excited to share it with you.

For the next two weekends, we will be performing at the Washington site. Each of the eight shows are sold out, but things change in our lives so we have created a Wait List for Washington. Those on the Wait List will be notified of any released tickets, and it will be first come first served.

Purchase Tickets to Forest

Each day has two performances: 11am or 2:30pm

Bradford Performances
September 19 & 20
September 26 & 27
sold out
sign up for the waitlist here

WELCOME

Thank you for your interest in Forest. We are looking forward to welcoming you to our multidimensional performance. Forest is contemporary dance/theatre designed for adults. However, if your child or children are versed in this kind of performance and want to attend alongside you, they are welcome as long as you or the accompanying adult is responsible for them maintaining quiet during the performance.

TICKETS AND WAIVERS

Tickets to Forest are now on sale. Click above on your chosen location and date. Zeffy is the ticketing platform. Read instructions carefully.

The ticketing process includes agreement to two liability waivers; one for the location and one for the presenting organization, Cradle to Grave Arts, Inc. You must indicate your agreement to these waivers or your ticket will not be viable. When you arrive, you will be asked to sign the paper copies. As there is not reliable internet at these locations, please print out your ticket. You will present your ticket at the entrance.

If you want to streamline your check-in, you can print out and sign these waivers ahead of time and present them at the Welcome Table.

Bradford Liability Waivers
Washington Liability Waivers

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

GPS is unreliable in rural settings. Upon purchasing a ticket, you will receive directions to the site. Please follow them. We don’t want you to get lost and arrive late.

CANCELLATION DUE TO RAIN

We will be watching the forecast and if it is obvious that the next day of performances will be rained out, we will email all ticket holders of that particular date. There are no performances in the rain and there are no make-up dates in case of rain. It is your responsibility to check your email prior to your ticketed performance for updates about weather. If the show is rained out during the performance, there is no refund.

AUDIENCE SIZE

Since only 30 people can be at any one performance or dress rehearsal, we ask that you limit yourself to one performance so that as many people as possible get to see and experience Forest. Thank you.

Know Before You Go

Forest is a multi-dimensional, immersive dance/theatre piece made for two forests in East Central Vermont. A narration that speaks to the history of the area is part of the performance.

SETTING

Washington setting is an upland hardwood forest; Bradford setting is on the Connecticut River and predominantly softwoods.
Both settings are on quiet dirt roads. One site is private property and the other has landowners on both sides. We ask you to be respectful of these people who have given us permission for the performances.
Upon arrival at the location, you will be directed to a secure parking area
One accessible port-a-let will be located near the parking area
You will be outdoors the entire time.
You will always be looking into the forest from the road or a field, but not stepping into the forest.
The performance is designed with 7 different scenes along the road, covering a distance of 1.5 miles round-trip from your parked car and back again.
The dirt and grass road is a gentle grade with mild inclines.
The entire performance lasts approximately 100 minutes.
You will receive a program to take home after the Finale.
There will be two Audience Response Books on a table before the parking area for you to write in. We appreciate your impressions of your experience.

MOVING FROM SCENE TO SCENE

Expect a quiet walk along the road. If you need mobility assistance, reserve a spot in the golf cart when purchasing your tickets (3 spots available per performance).
The road has loose gravel in spots and forest debris such as acorns. Wear walking shoes and not sandals.

SEATING

At each performance, there will be a maximum of 30 audience members
Each scene lasts between 10-15 minutes
There will be benches with seating for 20 people at six of the scenes.
Some people may need to sit at every scene. Others may stand for some of the scenes.
At the finale, there will be enough benches to seat the entire audience.

CANCELLATION DUE TO RAIN

There are no rain dates. It is your responsibility to check this website 24 hours prior to your ticketed performance for updates about weather.

Accessibility Services

ACCESSIBILITY

The ticket site will include ways to specify access requests and advance notifications.
Tickets are available to 30 people at each performance. They will sell out early.
Requests for accessibility services need to be made when you purchase your ticket.
For questions about accessibility, please contact Judith Chalmer.

MOBILITY

The performance is designed with 7 different scenes along the dirt road, covering a distance of 1.5 miles round-trip from your parked car and back again. The distance between each scene is no longer than a 10 minute walk. At both the Washington and Bradford locations, there are mild inclines along the road.
At the Washington site, the finale involves a short incline distance on a woods road into a field. At both sites, there may be forest debris on the dirt road.
There will be one golf cart for those who need mobility support. When you purchase your ticket, follow the link to request a seat. Besides the driver, there are 3 seats available.
If you need to remain in the golf cart to view scenes, be sure to make note of that as you purchase your ticket.

SIGHT

The performers will be in amongst the trees between 5 and 25 feet from the audience during performance scenes
Sighted guide available upon request at ticketing
Large Print program upon request at ticketing
Verbal Description upon request at ticketing
Digital copies of print material are available upon request for verbal description.
Tactile elements including costume and forest material will be available for those requesting Verbal Description

HEARING

Amplification will be used for the narration
Band musicians will be located near the road. Most of the music will not be amplified.

What to Bring

TRAVEL LIGHT

Bring your essentials (water bottle, sun hat, glasses, car keys) in an over-the-shoulder bag
At some scene sites you will be looking toward the sun. Bring a brim-hat.
There will be a first aid kit on site.

BUG REPELLENT

All the performances will be held during the end of the summer and beginning of the fall when bugs are not as much of an issue.

For the dress rehearsals that are in late July and early August, you might need bug spray.

Here are a few options of natural, effective bug spray:

CLOSE PROXIMITY and NATURAL SMELLS

We are all here to see and hear the performance. We are also here to connect with the forest and its many sounds, sights and smells. Many of us are chemically sensitive to commercially scented products - perfume, shampoo, face cream, laundry detergent etc. They inhibit our ability to smell the forest plants. Since we will be close to one another in a natural setting, we ask that you seek an alternative to the products you use, even just for the day.

NO PETS, ONLY TRAINED SERVICE DOGS allowed.

With respect for the artists’ creation, NO PHOTOGRAPHS OR VIDEOS. Leave your phone or camera locked in your car.

PLEASE NO FOOD OR DRINK other than water.

PACK IN PACK OUT. There will be NO LOST AND FOUND

NO SMOKING OR VAPING

Volunteering

Thank you to our volunteers! We are no longer looking for volunteers.

For those volunteering for performances, you will be able to see a performance on the days you work.

PERFORMANCE VOLUNTEERS

There are 8 days of performances. Each day has two performances within it, one at 11am and one at 2:30pm.
We need 6 volunteers each day.
We are asking people to sign up for a whole day of performance, or if possible, a whole weekend.
The day for volunteers begins promptly at either 9:30am or 10am. All volunteers will be done by 4:30pm and you will have a lunch break in between performances.
You each get to see a performance during the day/weekend you volunteer. Because of limited sight lines, we are keeping the paying audience to 30 and the support staff/volunteers to 4 at any given performance.

THE FIVE JOBS

Welcome Table. Arrive at 9:30am to help set up. The Welcome Table attendant primarily functions as the audience interface and connecting hub between volunteers. Those at the Welcome Table ensure that all guests have signed both waivers and are properly being accommodated according to their stated access needs. Access needs may include having a golf cart seat and receiving large-print narration copies for those hard of hearing or access to tactile samples for those visually impaired. All access needs will be listed on the guest list you receive ahead of time.The Welcome Table has ownership over one walkie-talkie at all times. While guests are arriving, the Welcome Table communicates with the ticket checker should questions arise. Once the performance begins, one walkie talkie will be with the golf cart so that the Welcome Table can communicate with the golf-cart driver should anything occur that requires cell-phone service (such as a medical emergency, etc). Once the performance begins, the second welcome-table attendee is able to watch the performance while the other one stays with the table. In the afternoon, the roles swap.
Costume Helper. Arrive at 9:30am. Role includes helping load/unload costumes into Costume Director’s car, following flags a short way into the woods to leave and gather costumes before, in between, and after performances. Also responsible for filling dancers’ water bottles in between performances. Will use a car to navigate the majority of the way, but should be prepared to walk into the woods and be able to lift 20 lbs at a time.
Ticket Checker. Arrive at 10am. When you arrive, you will be given a festive Forest vest and a stool. In addition, an over the shoulder bag with clipboard containing guest names, a pen and a walkie-talkie. You will set up shop at the beginning of the road (at Bradford’s site, this means driving your car down, and parking on the pull-off with all your supplies.) You will be the first person to greet cars as they arrive. View tickets (don't take them permanently), check off the names on your clipboard, and send them on their way to the Welcome Table. Should you have any questions (for example, if a person doesn’t have their tickets and doesn’t know the name under which their reservation was made) use the walkie-talkie to communicate directly with the Welcome Table. Once every guest has arrived, fold the easel down and walk/drive back to the welcome area and hand off your walkie-talkie to the Welcome Table.
Parking Attendant. Arrive at 9:45am. You will be directing parking during the arrival times for guests: 10am-11am, and again from 1:30pm-2:30pm. You will wear a Forest vest. According to the map given at the site, direct cars as they come in.
Golf Cart Driver. Arrive an hour before performance to test out the cart. Must have a valid driver’s license. You will drive the cart at the pace of walkers, at the end of the group. The cart is primarily for those with access needs, but it is possible you may be driving it by yourself sometimes. At each dance spot you park so that your passengers can see the dance. The cart is also for any emergency. You will have the walkie talkie to communicate with the Welcome Table should the need arise. There will be a 1st Aid Kit in the dashboard.