Fringe: There Will Come Soft Rains

Sinking Ship Productions delivers ingenious new stage adaptations of three science fiction tales, using elements of story theatre, puppetry, and video.  Director Jon Levin takes 3 stories and turns them into wonderfully theatrical fare.

First is How The World Was Saved, adapted from the story by Stanislaw Lem.  It is a thoughtful fable about scientific hubris: Trurl (Clare McNulty) has invented a machine that can create anything beginning with the letter "N".  He shows it off to his friend Klapaucius (Mary Notari), who arrogantly tests the machine by offering it various challenges, and nearly gets them killed. 

This is the most traditional puppetry, with Trurl and Klapaucius having giant lightbulbs for heads on puppet bodies, while an ensemble of other actors (Andrew Broaddus, Jesse Garrison, Lisa Maley, Joshua Morris, Kendall Rileigh, and Carolyn Usanis) is the embodiment of the Machine.

Second, On the Nature of Time, based on the story by Bill Pronzini & Barry N. Malzberg.  A startling production in which one man (Jesse Garrison) plays himself and his memories of his father, through the ingenious use of images projected on a scrim in front of the playing area.  (Video design by Jesse Garrison and Spencer Russell)

And last, the titular piece There Will Come Soft Rains, based on the short story by Ray Bradbury (one of my personal favorites).  The story is that of a mechanical house unknowingly bereft of its owners.  The 3-person ensemble (Lisa Maley, Clare McNulty, and Kendall Rileigh) embodies the house using minimal props, some water, and a puppet of a nearly-dead dog.

All three are impressive realizations of the stories, and should definitely be seen by any fan of sci-fi or puppetry.  Puppets designed by Farah Joyner.

 there will come soft rains
Sinking Ship Productions

Part of the 2008 New York International Fringe Festival
VENUE #10: The New School for Drama Theater

Remaining performances

Thu 21 @ 5:15
Sat 23 @ 7:30

Photo Credit: Marielle Solan

1. Jesse Garrison and Kendall Rileigh in "How the World Was Saved," an adaptation of the Stanislaw Lem short story in THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS at FringeNYC.
2. Kendall Rileigh, Clare McNulty and Lisa Maley perform with a dying dog puppet in THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS at FringeNYC.