TribLIVE: When the theater falls dark and the giant, illuminated puppets come onto the stage, they will tell two popular children’s stories in a compelling way with no dialogue: The movements, the dance, the facial expressions and the characters’ interaction with each other communicate the stories to the audience.
14 comments:
This makes me smile. Its always great to read about childrens theatre, but its even greater to read about innovative childrens theatre. The only show I've seen that has anything like this glow in the dark work is the Blue Man Group, whicj is aimed at older age groups. Children are so taken with anything that heightens their senses, that this seems only natural. On top of that, I think its brilliant to use this technique with a classic childrens story that everyone knows the moral of. I'd be very interested to talk to some of the kids after the show to see if they fully understood the story even without dialogue.
Giant light up puppets telling a story without words to music, '...half cooked spaghetti that glows in the dark'; brilliant. I know I keep talking about how important it is to inspire kids at a young age to be interested in theatre and art, but that is because it is and this is a prime example. I love that they talk about how the kids fill the void with their imagination. It only gives validity to the argument that kids should be more and more exposed to instances like this. And well lets be honest, giant light up string puppets.
This is certainly an interesting way to tell a story, and I would feel like a child on Christmas day watching these puppets move around. However I think that they are going a little deep. I think the kids would certainly enjoy this show, but I don't think anyone that age is going to sit there and interpret. Their thought process might be more along the lines of "ooooooooo pretty lights". But ti could certainly be explained to them afterward, or lead them to be more interested in theater. Nothing like magic lightup suits to get children to do things.
This is a very clever idea. I always find that adapting children tv shows or stories is very iffy, especially if they involve animals that talk. The costumes can look a little weird and could not represent the actual characters well. I feel like using light rope is a good compromise especially because you can use the darkness to hide the actor. It is a very good way to trigger the imagination.
"Their imagination begins to fill the voids in our costumes. ... There’s allowance for the imagination to run wild in the darkness and fill in. Darkness is sort of our biggest asset.” This description really got it for me. The idea of the dark void allowing for the imagination of the children to fill in the gaps lets them live the story a little bit more. Children's imaginations are wild and filled with excitement, the costumes, light, and lack of structure besides the characters really opens up endless possibilities to each audience member. I think its a great idea to use basic structure and create a stunning visual and intriguing piece.
I have seen several children’s theatre companies over the years. Each one is successful in their own way, but the one time I saw a black light show. The kids were mesmerized. They typically scream and shout throughout the entire show, but this time they were completely silent. Either because they were terrified or enthralled, but when the lights came up at the end of the show they cheered wildly. Even children appreciate a fresh concept, or something that is a little outside the box. I hope that this kind of work continues and is funded because it really does have a huge impact on the audience, if done successfully.
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I love this for a children's play. I've seen something similar on America's Got Talent, where a dance group became stick figures in the dark.But I like how this theater group is combining a common childhood fear, darkness, and happy stories. I also love how the characters look playful and colorful. The strong lines remind me of neon African masks. The darkness just makes the colors pop, and it looks really fun to watch. I love the idea how there is no words to the play, making it almost like a 3D shadow/light puppet. I think it would be very interesting to see more theaters do productions like this, and I think it would be extremely cool to see an opera in this style.
I think this sounds like such a wonderful show!! I can see how the children would get all excited to be in the dark and then be totally mesmerized once the show started. A show like this allows so much imagination to run wild. A plus is that they are two stories that most of the kids probably already know. I also like that there are messages in each of these shows which will make the kids think. Without words, the kids will have to think even more so it would be interesting to speak to these children afterwards and see how they interpreted the message. I think adults would enjoy this show too!
I also think this is a fabulous idea, so fun and enthralling- not just puppetry, but the fact that this is a performance in the dark! I have no idea why this idea was not explored as much as I considered it would be, the only dark themed entertainment I recall is firework display/ light shows. I also think that this is a great way to get kids less afraid of the dark. Accompanying the nighttime, something that seems frightening, with something wonderfully wild, great, friendly, and fun, you are not just helping instill some great memories, but applying fun to unknown territory in kids minds and imaginations.
I'm happy to be reading a review about children's theatre, and one that talks about an innovative new idea at that. What an awesome idea it is to turn our work inside out and put it in the dark. I like that that forces us to look at it from a different perspective, almost like negative space. I especially like what the performer had to say about the imagination filling the voids that are in darkness. It just shows that our imaginations will take us so much further with just a little suggestive help. I'm sure the music adds a very realistic touch, filling in the story more completely too.
I love children's theater i think its one of the best ways to get kids involved in the arts and really great way to teach them at the same time. This new way of doing it is is also great! its super innovative and interesting and with kid watching so much TV these days its a really great way to bridge the gap between electronic entertainment and live entertainment. Not only this but its just a beautiful new way of performing, its almost equally art just as it is theater and i can see it being used in many different ways in every form of theater.
childrens theatre is a great outreach, im going to be against this one though. Its a very cool concept but i find myself very creeped out and want to burn it all because i feel that it was staring into my soul. sorry i was afraid of the dark as a child...
Cool tech though
This is fantastic! I love how it is a new version of puppet theatre. It's interesting and catches the eye and basically sells itself. I also love how it allows the children to fill in the gaps because it reminds me of dreams. We see them when we sleep but we don't see the full picture so when we wake up we must fill in the gaps. It's a remarkable way to intrigue children and keep them tuned into what's going on and it's great to let their imaginations run wild.
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