the labyrinth and the tea house a community project created by

THE LABYRINTH AND THE TEA HOUSE
A COMMUNITY PROJECT CREATED BY
with Tim Smith and Linda Gatter
Walking the dog Theater
Walking the dog Theater Directors David Anderson and Benedicta Bertau laid the foundation for their creative relationship
and for the company when they met at Emerson College in Great Britain, in 1994. Walking the dog Theater
(WTD) has by now become one of Columbia County’s most prominent theater organization, drawing audiences from
as far as Boston and New York City. Dedicated to serving the community through the arts, the company brings high
caliber professional productions as well as educational programs for all ages and abilities to the county.
An international work crew
14 years after graduating from Emerson College in Great Britain, Walking the dog Theater’s artistic directors will be
hosting a reunion of alumni in August 2009. A group of alumni and their families from 11 countries and 5 continents
will be arriving August 7 th . One of the central purposes for the reunion is to create a project for the community.
The project
Walking the dog Theater will create a Labyrinth for Philmont in the Philmont Village Park. The labyrinth, a maze-like
structure that invites walking along its curved paths, appreciation of the landscape around it, and activities for all ages
in all seasons, has the potential to become an attraction for inhabitants of Philmont as well as for visitors from far and
wide.
Tea House clean-up
The marble floor of the historic Tea House at Harder Mansion (now The Hearth) was recently vandalized. Young people
smashed the marble tiling - and were caught. Sentenced by the judge, the three young people await the community
service project that will hopefully help them come to their senses. Under guidance of stone mason Tim Smith of Philmont,
Walking the dog Theater will integrate these young people into the international work crew. Other members of
the community are also invited to lend a hand. The idea is to recycle the vandalized, broken marble tiles of the historic
Tea House into the central piece, the “Rose”, of the labyrinth that would be placed below/South of the Tea House,
and to consolidate the marble tiles that are still whole in the center of the Tea House floor, readying it for a future,
more complete restoration. We will clean up and make the Tea House safer. We are certain that engaging the youth of
the community will prevent future vandalism, as was and is the case with the beautifully restored bridge in the park.
The Labyrinth
The exact place for the labyrinth will be to the South of the Tea House, at the bottom of the slope, where the Harder
tennis courts used to be (see photos included on page 3). The ground is already prepared there and will receive a labyrinth
structure relatively easily. The labyrinth will measure 42’ in diameter, and be flush with the ground. It’s structure
will not inhibit any village activities, such as a fair with e.g. booths, tables. On the contrary, it will provide a beautiful
and safe addition for village events. The mosaic structure (created of Blue Stone, grass, and recycled white marble (the
Tea House Floor pieces) will be such that digging up stones/vandalism will be extremely difficult. The structure is
planned to be flush with the ground, so that it can be mowed when the rest of the park is maintained.
All the labor, and materials for the labyrinth will be donated to the village of Philmont. We plan to use the existing
grass/sod for the paths, Blue Stone for the “walls” (the spaces between the paths), and the rescued broken white marble
from the Tea House for the spaces between. We will supplement the marble with stones from the 11 countries that
reunion participants are traveling from. Walking the dog Theater has already been given material for the project, and
is inviting local businesses and private citizens to support the project with material and financial donations. Linda Gatter
of Local 111 will be hosting a fundraiser at the restaurant on August 11. Tim Smith will be donating a substantial
part of the materials. A school teacher from Connecticut, Marleen De Grande, has already pledged her support with
maintenance, and is planning to bring her class twice a year for that purpose.
Walking the dog Theater, the reunion participants, and the Labyrinth Committee are delighted to have been
granted permission to place this beautiful structure on the edge of the town park, and allow us to clean up
the beautiful historic Tea House. We trust that the Philmont Labyrinth will add to the revitalization of the
town of Philmont, giving its inhabitants another reason to love their Village Park and be proud of their
hometown, and creating an attraction for visitors.

Labyrinth for Philmont Village Park - with Tim Smith and Linda Gatter
Philmont Village Park
As seen from Maple Avenue
(East)
Harder Mansion Tea House
Labyrinth will be behind bench, to the left
of the slope of the Tea House.
Maple Avenue
Philmont Village
Park
View from West
Labyrinth
42’ diameter
Harder Mansion Tea House
Paths: Grass
Walls: Blue Stone
Center/Rose: rescued Tea House marble/
stones from the world
Philmont Village Park
View towards Harder Mansion/
The Hearth
DO YOU...
...have Blue Stone scraps?
...want to donate toward the project?
...want to help build?
...want to help at the Fundraising Dinner?
Please contact Benedicta Bertau bbertau@wtdtheater.org
WALKING THE DOG THEATER, Inc.
Artistic Directors: Benedicta Bertau 518. 755. 1716 & David Anderson 518. 610.0909
Mailing Address: 39 Oak Hill Road, Ghent, NY 12075
Walking the dog Theater is a 501 (c) (3) professional theater company based in Columbia County. Walking
the dog Theater creates theater events that inspire, entertain, and build community year-round: high quality
innovative productions in exciting venues, theater and clown programs for all ages and abilities.

Labyrinth for Philmont Village Park - with Tim Smith and Linda Gatter
Chartres Labyrinth
A note on Labyrinths:
What is a labyrinth? A labyrinth is different from a maze, though the two are often compared. The
labyrinth is one of the oldest contemplative and transformational tools known to humankind, used
for centuries for prayer, ritual, initiation, and personal and spiritual growth. This ancient tool is unicursal,
offering only one route to the center and back out again, no blind alleys, dead ends, or
tricks, as in a maze. Labyrinths have been a part of human history since the dawn of times. All cultures
have included the image of the labyrinth in some shape or form.
The Chartres labyrinth, named after the permanent stone labyrinth set into the floor of Chartres
cathedral in France during the thirteenth century, has eleven concentric paths that wind through
four quadrants of a circle. It is a strikingly elegant and decorative pattern.
Labyrinths are found on earth as well as in cyberspace. They are being built on school playgrounds
(Pinehurst in Seattle), university campuses (Ohio State), medical facilities (California Pacific Medical
Center in San Francisco), prisons, churches, and private backyards.