BnP_Possibilitarians_byRonaldTSimon
Crystal Field, Executive Director
presents
BREAD & PUPPET THEATER
The Possibilitarians
and
Dead Man Rises
along with
The Circus of the Possibilitarians
(family-friendly)
December 6 through 23
“Part carnival, part protest, all pageant,
Bread and Puppet productions
express political outrage and satire …
Mr. Schumann shows that he remains
urgently invested in the politics of the age.”
[New York Times, Dec. 12, 2011]
(New York, NY 10003) Bread & Puppet Theater: “The Possibilitarians”
Soon to begin celebrating its 50th anniversary, the award-winning Vermont-based Bread & Puppet Theater, featuring Artistic Director Peter Schumann and his troupe of puppeteers, returns for its 41st annual visit to Theater for the New City, bringing their signature powerful imagery, masked characters, and giant papier-mâché
All the visuals are created by Schumann, including sculpting and painting of all the major masks and puppets, with input from the company. Although all Bread & Puppet events have a seriousness of purpose — a few laughs are always thrown in!
“… surprisingly warm and lively,
despite the grim subject matter …
It’s hard not to be charmed by
[Schumann’s]
for puppetry and lefty politics,
still vibrant after all these years.”
[Village Voice, Dec. 7, 2011]
Detailed listings information:
Evening Performances [recommended for ages 12 & older]:
Bread & Puppet Theater: “The “ and “Dead Man Rises”
8 pm performances:
$12 general admission [$6 for those under 12, although not recommended for this age group]
Running time: 1 ½ hours with a short intermission.
Description:
“ Possibilitarians”
Family-Friendly Performances:
Bread & Puppet Theater: “The Circus of the Possibilitarians”
3 pm and 6 pm Sunday performances:
$12 general admission [$6 for those under 12, ages 2 & under free]
Running time: 1 hour w/o intermission.
Description:
“The Circus of the Possibilitarians”
BRIEF BACKGROUND ON BREAD & PUPPET THEATER
Bread & Puppet Theater is one of the oldest and most unique theatrical companies in the United States. The theater champions a visually rich slapstick style of street-theater that is filled with huge puppets made of paper maché and cardboard, combined with masked characters, improvisational dance movement, political commentary, and a lively brass band for accompaniment. The company’s performances are described by The New York Times as "a spectacle for the heart and soul."
Bread & Puppet is based on a large farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. It was founded by Peter Schumann, German born artist-dancer, in 1963, and for the next decade his giant puppets figured prominently in anti-Vietnam War demonstrations in New York City, Washington DC and other cities in the US and abroad. Indoor performances were both simpler and more complex, ranging from quiet, intense masked shows ("Fire", "Man Says Good-Bye") with 4-6 players, to huge, lengthy spectacles ("Cry of the People for Meat").
In 1970, an invitation from Vermont's Goddard College to be theater-in-residence, facilitated a longed-for change to country life. "Our Domestic Resurrection Circus," an outdoor festival of music, art, puppetry and pageantry, began then, and ran almost every summer, growing to crowds of tens of thousands, until 1998. Since then, a smaller (but with giant puppets intact), more dispersed version continues on Sundays in July and August; the company continues touring and workshopping the rest of the year in New England and around the globe; and Schumann continues as director and artist — and bread baker — with a vengeance!
Bread & Puppet is one of the oldest, nonprofit, self-sustaining theatrical companies in this country. http://www.breadandpuppet.org
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
