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Health & Fitness

The Schoolhouse Sponsors Limerck Contest

On the occasion of the production of Irish playwright Conor McPherson's Tony-nominated dark comedy The Seafarer, The Schoolhouse Theater in Croton Falls is sponsoring a limerick contest.

In announcing the contest, Schoolhouse Executive Director James Shearwood said, "Although limericks have a history of being ribald, we are looking for winners that can be read in public without embarrassment. In fact, we hope to try out some of the limericks people submit by sharing them with our audiences before each Seafarer curtain goes up."

The limerick is a short, usually humorous poem of five lines, with the first, second and fifth lines rhyming with one another. There is extensive information available online for those who want to try writing limericks for the first time.

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As an opening two -line example, Shearwood suggested, "There once was a man from New York, whose head was screwed on like a cork.." "Finishing this example, would be a good first entry," he said.

The origin of the name "limerick" for a five-line poem is debated, although there is a town and county in Ireland named Limerick. While The Seafarer is a contemporary Irish play set in a coastal town north of Dublin, the characters are not noted for writing limericks.

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"Part of the mission of The Schoolhouse Theater is to bring smiles to audiences," said Shearwood, "and it is hard to hear a limerick without smiling."

The contest is open to all and there is no limit on submissions. Schoolhouse and Seafarer staff will be the final judges. Submissions can be made by March 30 to contest@schoolhousetheater.org or in person or by mail to Contest, The Schoolhouse Theater, 3 Owens Road, Box 300, Croton Falls, NY 10519.

The winner will receive two tickets to any performance of The Seafarer or two tickets to any future production at The Schoolhouse Theater.

Over the years, The Schoolhouse Theater has earned a reputation as the go-to theater in Westchester, where audiences can see Broadway quality productions at a fraction of the cost.

The Schoolhouse is a regional Equity theater, dedicated to presenting professional productions by award-winning playwrights and supporting and promoting all the arts.

The Seafarer will run from March 13 through April 6. Individual tickets are $35 on Thursday and Friday and $37 on Saturday evening and Sunday matinee. Student tickets are available for $20. They can be purchased online at www.schoolhousetheater.org or by calling the box office at 914-277-8477. The Schoolhouse is located at 3 Owens Road, Croton Falls, NY, just off exit 8 on I-684, and can be "Liked" on Facebook.
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