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Showing posts with label puppeteering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label puppeteering. Show all posts

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Germany's Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel Bring Baudelaire to The 21st Century With Surreal "Spleen"

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Spleen 

by Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel From Germany

 at The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival 

Ages: 16+ 

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

If dissonant, amplified violin, brutally loud electric guitar, creepy puppets, and esoteric 19th century poetry recorded by children is your jam, you have found your happy place! Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel's Spleen is wonderfully weird. This dynamic duo melds puppetry and an original score to breath new life into text well over a century old, and completely relevant today. Spleen is inspired by Charles Baudelaire’s collection of poems “Le Spleen de Paris,” published posthumously in 1869. 

Baudelaire's words, paired with an eerie assortment of puppets, is the show you never knew you needed to see. Charlotte Wilde arranges, composes and plays the music (violin, guitar and keyboard instruments) and brings compelling emotion and punctuation to the performance.  

We couldn't look away from the demonic, little creature that seemed self propelled, and others that moved unaided. We also adored the puppets animated by the shockingly limber and talented puppeteer and puppet maker, Michael Vogel. The craft and design of these puppets is fabulous and leaves a lasting impression. The plot may be too baffling and esoteric to ever be mainstream, but we enjoyed it immensely. Recommended.

We'll be back out to catch opening night of Krabat, featuring Wilde & Vogel once again, with Grupa Coincidentia.

Full Puppet Fest Schedule, including video clips of the productions HERE

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 




Spleen

The Biograph's Richard Christiansen Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park

January 19-21

Four shows: Friday, January 19 at 9 p.m., Saturday, January 20 at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Sunday, January 21 at 5 p.m.

70 minutes

16 and up

Tickets: $20-$30

Spleen is a kaleidoscope of pictures, songs and miniatures, inspired by Charles Baudelaire’s collection of poems “Le Spleen de Paris,” published posthumously in 1869. Mankind on the threshold to modernity is described in scenes played out between thirst for life and longing for death, between a romantic search for infinity and a brutal triviality. The performers are on the stage with puppets and musical instruments, while Baudelaire’s texts are spoken by children recorded on tape. The magic of this kaleidoscope develops in the imagination between actors, material and audience - a sequence of pictures and live music that wants to counterpoint Baudelaire’s vision of the world and open it for a new understanding for the present.

Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel was founded in 1997 by musician Charlotte Wilde and puppeteer and puppet maker Michael Vogel, first in Stuttgart, from 2003 in Leipzig, where Wilde and Vogel are co-founders of the International Centre for Animated Theatre Westflügel. Wilde, who studied music, English and history in Karlsruhe, arranges, composes and plays the music (violin, guitar and keyboard instruments). Vogel studied in Prague with Milos Kirschner and the Spejbl & Hurvinek Theatre, and studied puppet theater in Stuttgart at the University of Music and Performing Arts. Today, puppetry and live music are the artistic means of Wilde & Vogel’s theater, with a repertoire including classical drama, adaptations of novels, poetry and original works. Themes and dramatic material for the productions are manifold, and are always reduced to the essence, to open space for imagination beyond the visible for the audience. figurentheater-wildevogel.de


More Fabulous Puppet Fun From Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel 

and Grupa Coincidentia from Germany/Poland:

Krabat

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Krabat

Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel and Grupa Coincidentia

Germany/Poland

The Biograph Theater's Začek-McVay Mainstage, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park

January 25-28

Four shows: Thursday, January 25 at 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, January 26 and 27 at 9 p.m.; Sunday, January 28 at 3 p.m.

70 minutes

13 and up

Tickets: $35-$45

Based on the classic German children's book “Krabat and the Sorcerer's Mill,” a stray war orphan finds shelter with eleven millers and their Master. Strict rules, dark practices, black magic…anything can be endured as long as the bowl is full and the bed is dry. Krabat grows closer and closer to the Master. Finally, it is not heroism, but disobedience - the motive of gaining a friend and a girl who loves him - that breaks the power of the spell. A play about hard times, human falls and the power of first love, Krabat goes straight to the heart with penetrating clarity, power of image, stage humor and a minimum of words. Dark, bold and at the same time incredibly light, it’s a carousel of feelings spinning among great musical landscapes.

Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel was founded in 1997 by musician Charlotte Wilde and puppeteer and puppet maker Michael Vogel, first in Stuttgart, from 2003 in Leipzig, where Wilde and Vogel are co-founders of the International Centre for Animated Theatre Westflügel. Their repertoire includes classical drama, adaptations of novels, poetry and original works. Figurentheater-wildevogel.de 

Grupa Coincidentia was founded in 2009 by Dagmara Sowa and Pawel Chomczyk, graduates of the Bialystok Puppet Art Department of the Theater Academy. Coincidentia has produced over a dozen performances in collaboration with artists such as Michael Vogel, Lukasz Kos, Christiane Zanger, Pawel Aigner, Michal Walczak, Robert Jarosz, Christoph Bochdansky, Pawel Passini, Robert Drobniuch and Konrad Dworakowski. Coincidentia's shows have been presented at numerous festivals in Europe, Asia and North America and have been honored with many awards (including The Bank of Scotland Herald Angel, Total Theater Award Edinburgh, Grand Prix of the Konteksty Festival, the Grand Prix of the MFTL in Torun). Coincidentia collaborates on a permanent basis with the German independent scene Lindenfels Westfluegel in Leipzig and the Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel. In 2016, Grupa Coincidentia established Siedlisko Kultury Solniki 44 - an independent cultural center located in the forest in Podlasie region, which has hosted dozens of theatrical performances, artistic and educational workshops, works in progress, concerts and panel discussions. In 2018, the center initiated LasFest - International Theater Festival in the Forest, and in 2020, LasKids - a festival addressed to children's audiences. Both include independent theaters, laboratory works, concerts, student shows, meetings with artists, film screenings and unconventional events combining art with nature. grupacoincidentia.pl

Everything you need to know about the 6th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival January 18-28, 2024

January in Chicago isn't all dreary, cold, and grey. Puppet fest is back to put some color and joy into your January. Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've covered the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival every year since it's inception. We're elated that they're now an annual fest instead of every other year, and we'll be out to review as much of the fest as possible once again in 2024. Check out the schedule below to save the dates. There'll be plentiful family friendly and adult puppet fun and we'll have the scoop right here. 

Tickets are now on sale for the 6th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the largest of its kind in North America, returning January 18-28, 2024, at venues large and small throughout the city. 

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is the largest event dedicated to the art form in North America. In the heart of winter, the Festival spans 11 days and dozens of Chicago venues, sharing 100+ puppetry activities with 14,000+ guests. The festival includes performances, the Free Neighborhood Tour, a Puppet Hub open throughout the festival on the fourth floor of the Fine Arts Building, a symposium, the Catapult Artist Intensive, workshops, and more. 

Visit chicagopuppetfest.org for tickets and information about the 6th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, and sign up for the festival’s e-news.

Follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, hashtag #ChiPuppetFest.



Friday, January 19, 2024

Electrifying Immortal Jellyfish Girl A Must-See at The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

The Immortal Jellyfish Girl

Suggested for Ages 10+ 

There's something compelling in puppetry. Instead of actors pontificating front and center, people on stage hide in plain sight, while inanimate objects drive the action. What other form of theatre so skillfully and gorgeously melds light and shadows, artistry and craftsmanship, spoken word, multimedia elements, and object manipulation, all in the service of storytelling. 

For the 2024 fest, Wakka Wakka, based in Oslo, Norway and NYC, claim the coveted opening night spot, and bring not one but 3 very different, yet interrelated shows, to Chicago's Steppenwolf and Biograph Theatres January 18-23rd. 


The Immortal Jellyfish Girl is epic story telling for our time. This dystopian yet hopeful love story is a visual and auditory delight. We were awestruck at the world class artistry, design work, puppeteering, multimedia, and the original score. Wakka Wakka sounds the alarm on our global doomsday clock, offering a much needed eco-friendly reminder in a way that's not heavy handed. 

Do note, some of the storyline and characters may be frightening and too intense for young children. This show is recommended for ages 10+ and is truly more of an adult offering. The Immortal Jellyfish Girl engaged all our senses and left us wanting more. I'll be out to review Wakka Wakka's other 2 puppet fest offerings, Dead as a Dodo on January 20th and Animal R.I.O.T. on January 22nd, so check out my further coverage at ChiILMama.com. After catching this insanely talented troupe, we'll be on the lookout for more from Wakka Wakka in the future. Highly recommended!

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

Wakka Wakka's Animalia Trilogy

Wakka Wakka

U.S./Norway


The Immortal Jellyfish Girl

Steppenwolf's Downstairs Mainstage Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Lincoln Park

January 18-21

Four shows: Thursday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday January 19 at 1:30 p.m.; Saturday, January 20 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, January 21 at 1:30 p.m. 

80 minutes

Ages: 10 and up

Tickets: $40-$45

Free events: Come make your own masks at free Wakka Wakka drop-in mask making workshops, Saturday and Sunday, January 20 and 21 at 2:45 p.m.

A gripping tale of humanity on the brink of annihilation and the unlikely hero who might just save them all. The year is 2555. Large swaths of earth’s surface are considered dead zones, and mass extinction has begun. There is a war (there is always a war). As both sides grow desperate, their thirst for destruction becomes more and more volatile. An improbable meeting between an orphan and a jellyfish girl threatens to tip the balance forever, but in whose favor, and at what cost? A mysterious man in a homemade fox costume has seen this all before, has lived this tragedy too many times, but he is determined it will end differently. Hilarious, ridiculous and virtuosic, this puppet show blends innovative projection, original music and puppetry that soars through dimensions, unconfined by time, gravity or biology. 

The New York Times called it "A 26th-century love story." 

The New Yorker called it "stunning."


More Fabulous Puppet Fun From Wakka Wakka:

World Premiere

Dead as a Dodo 

The Biograph Theater’s Začek-McVay Mainstage, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park

January 19-21

Three shows: Friday, January 19 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, January 20 at 1:30 p.m.; Sunday, January 21 at 7 p.m.

75 minutes

Ages: 8 and up

Tickets: $40-$45

Deep within the underworld, a skeleton Dodo and a skeleton Neanderthal are tirelessly digging for fresh bones; their ancient skeletal forms are quickly deteriorating and they are afraid of disappearing completely. One day, a peculiar occurrence disrupts their routine...without warning, the Dodo miraculously sprouts a new bone! A maelstrom of transformation begins to unravel within the realm of bones, shattering the established order. The great reversal has begun. Infused with a blend of puppetry, projections, and humor, Dead as a Dodo offers a fantastical glimpse into a future that harkens back to the distant past.



Animal R.I.O.T.

Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Lincoln Park

January 19-23

Five shows: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 19-21 at 9:30 p.m.; 

Monday and Tuesday, January 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. 

75 minutes

Ages: 13 and up

Tickets: $30-$40

Animal R.I.O.T (Animal Resurgence In Our Time) is an anonymous anthropomorphic organization, founded by the Fantastic Mr. Fox (the non-fictional one). Can you believe it? The human species will come together and save all animals from extinction (including ourselves)! Become a real life masked avenger answering the CALL of the WILD and join the BIO-ECCENTRIC PACIFIST FIGHT CLUB! Join us or die out! animalriot.org 

Wakka Wakka Productions, Inc. is a non-profit visual theater company based in New York City and Oslo. Its mission is to push the boundaries of the imagination by creating works that are bold, unique and unpredictable. The company is led by Gabrielle Brechner, Kirjan Waage and Gwendolyn Warnock and supported by company members Andrew Manjuck and Peter Russo.

Since 2001 Wakka Wakka has created and produced 11 original works which have toured extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad. All of Wakka Wakka’s productions have been highly physical, overlapping in a wide range of styles and incorporating elements such as puppetry, object manipulation, masks and original music. Wakka Wakka has been honored with a Drama Desk Award, an Obie Award and two UNIMA Citations of Excellence, and nominated for four Drama Desk Awards, a Helen Hayes Award and a Hawes Design Award. wakkawakka.org

Everything you need to know about the 6th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival January 18-28, 2024

January in Chicago isn't all dreary, cold, and grey. Puppet fest is back to put some color and joy into your January. Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've covered the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival every year since it's inception. We're elated that they're now an annual fest instead of every other year, and we'll be out to review as much of the fest as possible once again in 2024. Check out the schedule below to save the dates. There'll be plentiful family friendly and adult puppet fun and we'll have the scoop right here. 

Check back with us at ChiILMama.com and ChiILLiveShows.com like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. Full Puppet Fest Schedule, including video clips of the productions HERE: https://www.chiilmama.com/2023/11/save-dates-6th-chicago-international.html

Tickets are now on sale for the 6th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the largest of its kind in North America, returning January 18-28, 2024, at venues large and small throughout the city. 

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is the largest event dedicated to the art form in North America. In the heart of winter, the Festival spans 11 days and dozens of Chicago venues, sharing 100+ puppetry activities with 14,000+ guests. The festival includes performances, the Free Neighborhood Tour, a Puppet Hub open throughout the festival on the fourth floor of the Fine Arts Building, a symposium, the Catapult Artist Intensive, workshops, and more. 

Visit chicagopuppetfest.org for tickets and information about the 6th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, and sign up for the festival’s e-news.

Follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, hashtag #ChiPuppetFest.



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