NPR: Generations of peacenik Americans first saw Bread and Puppet Theater during anti-war protests. Giant white birds on rods soared high over marchers against U.S. military actions in Vietnam, Central America, Iraq and Gaza. Performers milled on the street with bobbing paper mache heads of Uncle Sam and other caricatures.
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I had no idea there was a theatre company such as this which existed before reading this article. As implied by its incredible name, the Bread and Puppet Theatre creates theatrical pieces which ultalize puppetry as its primary storytelling element, as they hand out bread to the audience. What makes this theatre so unique however, is the mission they serve in their messaging within their performances. Since 1963, they’ve advocated for an end to war accross the globe. From Vietnam to Palestine, they address it all in festivals through their performances showing the gruesome cost and effect war has on the world. This organization and their story is incredibly inspiring to me, and I hope more people can learn both about them and from what they stand for. Action is what we need right now, and art serving as an inspiration or form of action itself, can be truly remarkable.
This is exactly the kind of work that I admire and am passionate to involve myself in. In times like this, art is always the first to be silenced, but it is so important, and this is why. Baraja’s is exactly right in their comments. It is so crucial to make the art irresistible, to make revolution irresistible. These are issues that are impossible to ignore, and artwork is always an amazing motivator. From the puppets, to the work they have on display now, down to their very core values. Always as an artist and a restless member of American society, learning about theatermakers like this is absolutely amazing. Throughout all the works that they have shown, it is so meaningful through the symbolism portrayed. It hits so hard even just being out in a field, and focusing purely on the puppetry, no lights, no music or other theatrics. By just the picture alone I really feel the story and the meaning behind it.
I recently saw Bread and Puppet Theater come across my social media page due to a song they had about what to do if an ICE agent came up to your door, which they captioned with posters and sung in both English and Spanish. I had no idea that there was such a long and storied history behind such an organization, although I did see some people making comments about its resurgence that makes more sense in the context that this article provides. It was really brave, and like the article mentions, it’s hard to walk that line with free speech that’s getting more and more limited by the day. In the video I saw, even the audience of such a piece is caught up in being scared but doing it anyway feeling that the interviewee describes in this article. It also reminds me that throughout history there have always been groups of people brave enough to fight for what is right.
I love this kind of performance art. The article says that Bread and Puppet Theater is “rooted in 14th century traditions” and I love the idea of taking ancient, age old art forms and using them for modern purposes to spread modern messages. This is revolution. It is revolutionary. Using a performance platform to say what needs to be said unapologetically is what we need more than anything right now. Bravery in the face of insurmountable odds to make art that spreads messages that need to be shared is something we are sorely lacking in our modern epoch of tip-toing around hard conversations so as not to offend anyone. Real art offends. It pushes limits and confronts us with the hard truths of the world we’re living in. It’s a frightening mirror that reflects all that is beautiful and horrifying and the fact that Bread and Puppet Theater isn’t afraid to let people walk out of their shows or to make this kind of art in such a hostile time is nothing short of what their show says it is. Revolutionary.
Theater and art has been a form of protest throughout history. Humans relate and learn best from things that “entertain” them. The fact that Bread and Puppet has survived and thrived over the past 50 years is a real testament to the founder who at 91-years-old is still very active with his troupe, the amount of love and trust he gives to his troupe adds to his successful leadership. The puppets that they use are very well made, but still look handmade which I think adds to the humanity of the performance. The fact that these performers have to be extra careful about what they say now and how close they walk that line because of the amount of creative/political suppression is a stark reminder of how much censoring is happening in our country at the moment. Seeing that there are companies/troupes/communities that are like Bread and Puppet out there gives me a lot of hope for the future.
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