Puppets never grow old - The Cashore Marionettes, 4.15.11 (7pm)

Remember when you were a kid and puppets were cool? Your introduction was most likely that of the Disney classic Pinnochio, who while making bad choice after worse, taught us not to lie and be mindful of those closest to our heart. 


Or perhaps it was the western cowboy marionette known as Howdy Doody. Heck, even the talking-est horse that ever was, Mr. Ed, probably falls in this category since the poor guy's lips were attached to strings that were (inhumanely) pulled from above.


But then, as you surpassed puberty and subconsciously assumed that puppets and the like were a novelty of the past, along came Jim Henson and his brilliant, age-defying creations known as The Muppets. And HBO's half-hour series, Fraggle Rock. (Bonus points to those of you who remember his holiday treat, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.) Why, Henson's rod-puppet paraphernalia even made it to the big screen with the semi-dark and magical, The Dark Crystal (which, btw, was Japan's highest grossing film for 14 years, only finally surpassed by Titanic). Of course by this time the Muppets were already big time stars, having starred in gems The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper.

These are shows and films that were not only fun to watch with our families and friends during our adolescence, but continue to be appealing viewing choices today with our own children and grandchildren. That makes these handmade characters even more special; simply because they remain in an impressive minority of artistic mediums that are still able to entertain and educate us as adults - just as they did when we were children.


Fact is, puppeteers work to develop an uncanny ability to mirror our changing cultural, social, and political landscapes. They seem to travel the globe like roving reporters, delivering the news that affects many to the few, and bringing the opinions of the few to the many. Their creations, whether puppet (hand, rod, etc.), marionette, or claymation act as their spokesperson and communicator, attracting and engaging their audiences.

To me, this is what makes the upcoming April 15th performance by The Cashore Marionettes, very, very intriguing.


Like many who will read this, I, too, glanced over the names and descriptions of upcoming shows in the new Avalon Spring calendar. I did what a lot of us do: Look for names I know - brand names, names that strike a chord of familiarity, or names of acts that may border the genres that bring comfort and joy. 


But after reading a little about Cashore's exquisite marionette creations, it became evident to me that these things; these intensely intricate characters that are so extremely capable of delivering a story and demanding our emotions - are both familiar and comfortable. 


They're simply packaged differently.

"Life in Motion", the hour-long performance that creator and performer Joseph Cashore will present at his upcoming Avalon Theatre tour stop, contains characters of depth, integrity, and humanity, performing and producing a product unlike anything else in theater today. "Motion" is a series of scenes taken from everyday life and set to the lush and beautiful classical music of composers such as Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Strauss. 


Through a combination of virtuoso manipulation, humor, pathos, classic music, and poetic insight, The Cashore Marionettes take the audience on a journey celebrating the richness of life. It's a powerful, entertaining, surprising, theatrically satisfying, one-of-a-kind event for adults, young adults, and children.


Which is why I think I will enjoy it. As will my 3 year-old. And my 53 year-old friend. And my 21 year-old niece. And so forth.


Turns out they all liked puppets as kids, too :)

From Joseph Cashore (Henson Foundation Grantee; UNIMA Citation of Excellence recipient; Pew Fellowship for Performance Art): "When I was ten or eleven years old, my parents took me into a large gift shop at the New Jersey shore while we were on vacation. This is where I first saw a marionette in person. It was hanging from the ceiling - a pirate, colorfully dressed. I remember looking at this marionette for a long time, imagining the possibilities. It was hanging high out of my reach. I was naturally shy, and my family had moved on to somewhere else in the store, so I had to work up all my courage to ask the saleswoman if I could try moving the marionette. She turned me down."


-D.E. Ferraris