Wizards, Ogres and Recycling at Hagaman

The ogres terrorized the village, eating everything in sight. A wizard came to the aid of the townspeople and scared the monsters back to their caves, but not before they made a huge mess.

The only way the village could be saved was through recycling the giant heap of rubbish the wizard had magically swept into the center of town.

Thus was the plot of “Recycling is Magic,” hosted by the Hagaman Memorial Library Thursday, a day before Earth Day. 

CJ May is the man behind the wizard, Cyril the Sorcerer, who, through storytelling and magic tricks, advocated recycling in a fun and interactive fashion.

“It’s important to instill a ‘We can solve this’ attitude,” said May, who is also the recycling coordinator at Yale University. “Doom and gloom doesn’t promote action.”

“As the world becomes more focused on sustainability, I want to use magic to bring information to [kids and parents],” said May. He said his goal is to explain the “why and how of sustainability” through stage performing. 

Branford resident Susan Manzo came to Hagaman on Thursday with her daughter, Sophia.

“I like how it was interactive,” said Manzo. “He made it fun.”

Sascha Gardiner, the children’s librarian at Hagaman, said she first saw May perform at a folk expo at Southern Connecticut State University.

“I saw him performing outdoors,” she said. “I thought it would be an ideal program for kids [a day before] Earth Day and during spring recess.”

Gardiner said she was pleased that the children were engaged and personally enjoyed how May blended the information into storytelling.