Puppet Crimes

Sandglass Theater’s Jana Zeller (VT)
Recommended for ages 12+
60 minutes, no intermission

Show Description:

This dark comedy highlights all the glory of traditional, antiauthoritarian, counter-cultural puppet theater. Puppet Crimes, an original hand puppet show created by Jana Zeller, is a raucously hilarious satire about what it takes for a common puppet to survive for 400 years in the face of war, tyranny and economic oppression. Traditional German hand puppet heroes Kasper and Gretel struggle to survive in an old shack on the margins of society. As the centuries pass through their little puppet booth, war is always raging and Kasper tries to avoid getting blamed, arrested and drafted, yet at every turn this petty puppet is made the scapegoat for larger crimes. In a grotesque world of gun-runners, outhouses, and a declining monarchy, Kasper (with the humor and wit of everyday folks) ducks out from under authority and manages to survive another 200 years. The third character in this spectacle is the villain Dietmar, corrupt emissary to the king who deals in weapons and bullies Kasper with his gun wielding authority. Each scene poses a grotesque circumstance with a comic twist that explores the tradition of Kasper’s character and its timeless relevance to today’s world. 

Promo link

About the Artist:

Jana Zeller is a second generation puppeteer whose passion for the hand puppet has driven her to research this 400 year old European tradition extensively. She conducted several interviews with Peter Schumann of Bread and Puppet, who witnessed the old fairground performances in his childhood in Germany and personally knew some of Germany’s most renowned hand puppeteers. As one of the daughters of Sandglass Theater, she began painting puppets, sets and props early on, and later became a working puppeteer creating original shows that have been presented in the US, Canada, Mexico, Germany, and India. She performs and teaches puppetry across New England, and art classes for children in her studio in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Sandglass Theater is a renowned theater company specializing in combining puppets with music, actors, and visual imagery. Since 1982, the company’s productions have toured internationally in over 30 countries, performing in theaters, festivals and cultural institutions and winning numerous international prizes.Sandglass is dedicated to the arts of theater and puppetry as a means of exploring contemporary issues, inspiring dialogue, and sparking wonder. We create original ensemble performances and collaborations, present diverse theater artists, produce events that serve our communities, and teach our art.

Conceived and Performed by Jana Zeller
Musician: Magda Sharif
Co-writer and Director: Eric Bass
Puppet Heads: Zak Grace
Puppet Costumes: Ines Zeller Bass
Composer: Anna Patton

Created with generous support from the Jim Henson Foundation.

Company Website: www.sandglasstheater.org