Dreams of Electric Houses Workshop/Performance One

I just love trying something new. Just doing it. Whatever IT might be. Something "new" is the platform for "Dreams of Electric Houses" .

Picture: Direct painting on the shadow screen.

There are several goals to "Dreams of Electric Houses". In no real order they are:

Shadow puppetry with out the Fourth Wall.
Explore the use of the shadow screen.
Bring in the general public, aka: non-theater people, to explore the creative process of theater.
Expand the theater professional's "tool" base with the exploration of puppetry.

Picture: A simple cut creates a paper sea.

Explore the use of the shadow screen.

The screen is the big problem of shadow puppetry. It's needed so that you can see the puppets. It's not movable. It blocks the energy flow to and from the audience. Usually. What happens when you cut or paint or make it so that you can move the screen?

Picture: Close up of the boat on the sea. Everything is visible. Hand, stick, screen and performers. It is my belief that you do not need to hide these elements, as long as they are taken as a part of the entire theatrical picture.

Shadow puppetry with out the Fourth Wall.

The first time that I saw a shadow piece a person next to me said, "Wasn't that a great movie?". Odd I thought, because it was live theater. I thought that this was a one off comment, but then I found many others using the same phrase and asking why they didn't just animate it. Shadow puppetry tends to create a fourth wall like no other, because there really is an alienating wall between you and the action. We will work on making the screen a part of the action, by cutting, crushing, ripping and a host of other methods we have yet to come up with, but that will be discovered with our audience/workshop attendees.

Bring in the general public, aka: non-theater people, to explore the creative process of theater.

People tend to define themselves by what they are not I not that creative. I've never done that. So, let's strip this away and try something new then, shall we?

Picture: People watching how easy it is to do puppetry by doing a simple story.

Expand the theater professional's "tool" base with the exploration of puppetry.

I've been doing actors theater again. It's been years. I have found that puppetry has given me a different vision and tools than other actors. Listening. Movement. Cooperation. It's time to see if other actors will find these tools as useful as I do.

Picture: A simple puppeteer trying to look cool.