Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 18:14:04 -0500
From: Jamie Ashby <jamie.ashby-AT-utoronto.ca>
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Wroclaw Puppet Theatre of Poland


Dear friends,

Forgive my indulgence, but Bruno Schulz was the first author who  
inspired me to pursue puppetry as an art and as an academic subject  
(well, actually second, after Craig). I'd just like to share these  
words from his ?Treatise on Tailors? Dummies, or The Second Book of  
Genesis,? which can be found in _The Street of Crocodiles_ that Steve  
mentions, that apply much more to our friend the puppet than a  
tailor's dummy:

You give a head of canvas and oakum an expression of anger and leave  
it with it, with the convulsion, the tension enclosed once and for  
all, with a blind fury for which there is no outlet. The crowd laughs  
at the parody. Weep, ladies, over your own fate, when you see the  
misery of imprisoned matter, or tortured matter which does not know  
what it is and why it is, nor where the gesture may lead that has been  
imposed on it for ever. (34-5)


All the best,

Jamie Ashby

PhD Candidate: "Ideas in Motion: New Work Development at Puppetmongers Theatre
Company"
Graduate Centre for Study of Drama,
University of Toronto

Co-founder, PuppUTopiate: the *only* puppet company at the Univ. of Toronto





Quoting steve abrams <sapuppets-AT-ucwphilly.rr.com>:

> "The Last Escape" presented by Teatr Lalek of Worclaw Poland is a   
> dark dream like work of puppet theatre. It opens with a  tango sung   
>  in Polish  by  a husky voiced woman, accompanied by accordion and   
> violin. The text is seen in English projected on either side of the   
> stage. The song evokes the Europe of Kurt Weil-Bertolt Brecht's   
> Three Penny Opera.
> It is the kind of puppetry that was seen at the much missed Henson   
> International Festival. Every element: sculpting, costumes (for   
> actors and puppets), lighting, sound design and music, manipulation   
> is carefully designed and considered, it is elegant and clear. The   
> text, by Jewish-Polish author Bruno Schulz (known for  Street of   
> Crocodiles) is not so clear, but the moody, intellectual poetic   
> words are given visual life and dramatic intensity. The program   
> notes begin "Joseph... is caught in the trap of his barren   
> existence."  The words are  about identity and loss, they are about   
> everyday events, and philosophical reflection. There is some humor.
> The staging has the eastern European style of design that dazzled so  
>  many puppeteers who saw Drak, or the Bulgarian company's work seen   
> at national festivals
> Anyone with an interest in grown up uses of puppetry for grown up   
> subjects should  take this rare opportunity to see the work of this   
> famous Polish company.
>
> "The last Escape" plays the next 6 days at Mum Puppettheatre in Phila
> Steve
>
> Oct 30-Nov 4 Mum Puppettheatre Phila (thanks Robert)
> Nov 7 Pamona College, Claremont CA
> Nov 9-11 Cal Arts downtown Theatre (REDCAT), Los Angeles
> Nov 18-19 Jewish Community Center,  334 Amsterdam Ave, NY NY
>
> http://www.polishculture-nyc.org/papety_teatr_more.htm
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