About
Set deep in the Sagebrush Desert, PACKRAT is a visually stunning puppet-forward play that contemplates humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Puppetry, projections and an original score elegantly come together to create many layers of meaning and emotions. At the center of the action is Bud, a peculiar rodent with a penchant for hoarding humankind’s goods. When a discarded cigar sparks a wild fire, the animals in Bud’s valley flee for their lives. Already an outcast among the desert animals for his hoarding instincts, he gets blamed for the human-made disasters infiltrating their lives. When they ban him from the community, Bud must set out alone amidst a raging fire, to confront human-made dangers and a few natural ones. PACKRAT is a poignant account of Bud’s journey to find his place in the world, and his ultimate realization that the interconnectedness of life rules the day.
History
February-March 2024
Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, GA
Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, GA
October 2023
Festival Internacional Cervantino, Guanajuato, Mexico
October 2023
in Spanish, Dixon Place, New York, NY
July 2023
National Puppetry Festival, POA, University of Maryland, MD
November 2022
Geumnarae Art Hall and Oil Tank Culture Park, Seoul, Korea
January 2022
Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds, WA (Streamed)
February-March 2024
Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, GA
Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, GA
October 2023
Festival Internacional Cervantino, Guanajuato, Mexico
October 2023
in Spanish, Dixon Place, New York, NY
July 2023
National Puppetry Festival, POA, University of Maryland, MD
November 2022
Geumnarae Art Hall and Oil Tank Culture Park, Seoul, Korea
January 2022
Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds, WA (Streamed)
Press
“Dazzling puppets depicting animals on an odyssey for a new home after a forest fire wow in this enthralling performance piece for children and adults. Its technical artistry, emotional resonance and engaging plot all cohere into a ravishing experience.”
– TheatreScene
– TheatreScene
“Dazzling puppets depicting animals on an odyssey for a new home after a forest fire wow in this enthralling performance piece for children and adults. Its technical artistry, emotional resonance and engaging plot all cohere into a ravishing experience.”
– TheatreScene
– TheatreScene
“Dazzling puppets depicting animals on an odyssey for a new home after a forest fire wow in this enthralling performance piece for children and adults. Its technical artistry, emotional resonance and engaging plot all cohere into a ravishing experience.”
– TheatreScene
– TheatreScene
Photos
Video
Workshops
1) Family Puppetry Workshop: in which parents and older siblings work with younger children in creating their own desert animal puppet(s).
2) Design & Dramaturgy & Storytelling: focuses on the relationship of design and storytelling, specific to puppetry; the workshop leads participants in the designing of puppets.
3) Meet-the-Puppets: after the show, we present a ten-minute talkback, “Meet the Puppets,” in which we talk about the inspirations for the piece, and audience members can try their hand at operating the puppets in the show.
4) Create Your Own work: has participants creating their own theatre piece(s), while focusing on different skills: playwriting, dramaturgy, directing, and puppetry. Participants are given a specific topic(s) from which to create a piece, with the length of the pieces fluctuating based on the number and length of sessions.