Dianna Craig and Heidi Bekebrede
  
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Heidi Bekebrede is a multi media artist who likes to vary her palette with paint, ceramics, song and words. She has a degree in studio art from the University of California, Davis. Heidi teaches children's classes at the Davis Art Center and is a vocalist in a doo-wop, retro-band, Frankie and the Fabletones. You can see her ceramic "Cuteware" at her website: www.cuteware.net or at The Artery in downtown Davis where her award winning work is continuously on display.
Dianna Craig studied mask-making and mask performing and received a fine arts degree from Humboldt State University. She offers a solo "Masks and Movement", assembly program for school aged children. Dianna sings with world-beat dance band, "AKIMBO" and is also a vocalist with Frankie and the Fabletones.


Where We've Performed


Libraries

Sacramento, Central Library, Roseville Library, Modesto Library, Lodi Library, Carmichael Library, Belle Coolidge Library, Rancho Cordova Library, Del Paso Heights Library

Churches

Porterville Methodist, Stockton Methodist
, Sacramento, St. Mark's Methodist

School Districts and Schools

Lee Vining, El Dorado
, Roseville, Davis, Lodi, Woodland, Sacramento, Shasta, Mammoth Lakes, Bridgeport, Porterville, Placerville

Other Venues

Salmon Festival
, Sacramento Reads, Lodi Crane Festival, San Jose Children's Museum, Hoes Down Festival, Duck Days, Port Orford Arts Festival (Oregon), Migrant Workers Camp, Davis Varsity Theater, Christmas and Halloween Shows sponsored by the Davis Downtown Business Association.


Letters

Salmon Festival, 2003
November 6, 2003
Dear Priscilla,

Now that the dust has settled and we have all breathed out big sighs of relief, I wanted to thank you for helping make the 7th annual American River Salmon Festival a great success! While I have not yet heard the final numbers, I feel certain that attendance was up at Lake Natoma this year, and that is in no small part due to the excellent quality of the activities and presentations there, including your wonderful performances.

Please pass on my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the other members of
Voice of the Wood. It was such a treat to have your beautiful, professional performances as part of the festival. It was a pleasure to work with you this year, and I hope you will continue to be involved with the festival next year. If you have any questions or comments or suggestions for next year, please don't hesitate to contact me...

Thanks again,

Laura Beck, Coordinator, Children's Activities, American River Salmon Festival

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Family Holiday Show, 2001
Davis Enterprise, Tuesday, December 18, 2001

By Marilyn Mantay,

It was to be a full hour of fun, and just about everyone entering the theater knew it.

Monday afternoon at the Varsity Theater: the first day of Voice of the Wood's family holiday show, and the front row filled quickly with (mostly) small people. They rushed down the aisles, mother or dad in tow, and soon seated themselves, a few girls with red ribbons and two boys with Santa hats, and everybody talking.

But as the lights went out, the magic began. It was perfectly quiet, with all eyes on the stage

The three Davis women who created Voice of the Wood, now in its 10th year, could not have had a more attentive audience ... unless Wednesday afternoon's crowd does better!

The women begin their performance as a vocal trio, with Jeremy Springer's classy a cappella arrangement of "Frosty the Snowman." Next comes a jokey "shopping" and gift exchange skit. But most of the show features one individual at a time.

Heidi Bekebrede is the narrator, with many voices and a talent for throwing her voice; When jokes are being played, the joke is on her. Bekebrede speaks distinctively and with distinction. Her solo turn is a rebus adaptation (by Henry Livingston Jr.) of "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," with children in the audience going right along and "reading" the words or syllables defined by the pictures as quickly as she can turn the pages of her giant drawing pad.

Dianna Craig is the maker of the masks. She brings her Amelia mask into the audience to show the youngest children before the show begins. Once on stage, and masked, she is transformed. Do I prefer her "Amelia Bedelia" -- the clueless but inventive maidservant -- or her spunky redhead in "Don't Open Until Christmas." whose dance moves match many of the luminaries' in pop-star heaven? Or am I more transfixed by here animals, which audition -- according to "Reindeer Christmas," by Moe Price -- to pull Santa's sleigh?

Well, just as Bekebrede has many unique and elegant voices, Craig has absolutely distinctive and expressive body moves.

Priscilla Hawkins gives her cello's voice personality and quirks that almost seem to make things happen. If Amelia Bedelia is making a date cake (where would she get the dates?), Hawkins' cello goes "snip, snip, snip" (well almost) as scissors cut each day away from a calendar to go into the cake. Hawkins plays medleys for "Reindeer Christmas" and for "A Visit from Saint Nicholas." She also plays a cello jam.

Voice of the Wood gets more appealing at each holiday show. It changes and seems funnier now, less planned for the schoolroom. The good-hearted comedy and even the rebus word-puzzles are at the level of young children, but the show's also enjoyable for adults.



Grants Received


City of Davis Civic Arts Contract Grant 1992
City of Davis Civic Arts Contract Grant 1993
City of Davis Civic Arts Contract Grant 1996 (bilingual programs)