16th Street Theater to Present MARIPOSA NOCTURNA: A PUPPET TRIPTYCH, 8/15-17

16th Street Theater announces MARIPOSA NOCTURNA: A Puppet Triptych conceived and created by Stephanie Diaz coming to North Berwyn Park District's 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn, for 3 special shows, August 15, 16, 17.

A child's wish for her dying grandmother to have "a happy sleep" results in a bawdy, Japanese shadow-dream; a pair of bird-headed spinsters suddenly find themselves custodians of a large, glowing egg; a lonely toy carriage embarks upon a jaunty odyssey in search of buried dreams. Employing handcrafted tabletop and shadow puppets, Mariposa Nocturna explores loss, longing and rebirth in this gently humorous, darkly beautiful and emotionally resonant new work.

MARIPOSA NOCTURNA: A Puppet Triptych runs 55 minutes and is recommended for audiences ages 8 and up.

MARIPOSA NOCTURNA was developed in residence with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and also, in part, at the 2013 Eugene O'Neill National Puppetry Conference.

STEPHANIE DIAZ (Creator) is proud to be an Artistic Associate with 16th Street Theater. A multidisciplinary artist, she divides her time between acting work, puppetry projects and writing short fiction and poetry. As an actor, she was most recently seen in Pinkolandia at 16th Street, and her credits include work at Lookingglass Theater, Victory Gardens, Remy Bumppo, ShawChicago, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Steppenwolf, Teatro Vista, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Seattle Repertory Theater, Kansas City Rep, The Magic Theatre (San Francisco), First Stage (Milwaukee), Mixed Blood (Minneapolis), Shakespeare Santa Cruz and The Village Theatre (Seattle). TV/Film: Chicago Fire, The Chicago Code and the recently-released indie film Redemption Trail, starring Lily Rabe.

As a puppeteer, she specializes in Bunraku-style tabletop and shadow puppetry. She works primarily with found materials (organic and man-made), paper, wood and wire, and is inspired and influenced by the Quay Brothers, Marta Carrasco, Jiri Barta, Guillermo del Toro, silent-era film and Butoh. Her puppet and mask designs have been seen at A Red Orchid Theater, Lookingglass Theater, 16th Street Theater, Collaboraction/Goodman Latino Fest, Prop Thtr, The Paper Machete Show, Links Hall, and Proyecto Latina. She was a 2012 Hedgebrook Writer-in-Residence, and is a 2014 Ragdale Artist-in Residence. She is a proud recipient of a 2014 NALAC Fund for the Arts Artist Grant from the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture.

MARIPOSA NOCTURNA: A Puppet Triptych

Conceived and created by Stephanie Diaz

FILM by Jessica Mondres

ORIGINAL MUSIC by Barry Bennett

FEATURING: Stephanie Diaz, Jessica Mondres, Jazmin Corona, Laura Shatkus, Miguel Nuñez.

RUNNING TIME: 55 minutes. No intermission.

WHEN: Friday August 15 & Sat August 16 @ 7:30 pm, Sun August 17 @ 3:00 pm

WHERE: 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn

TO PURCHASE TICKETS: www.16thstreettheater.org or (708) 795-6704 or in person at North Berwyn Park District, 1619 Wesley Ave., Berwyn

HOW MUCH: General Admission: $18 Group Tickets $14 for 8+

PARKING Free parking one block west in lot at 16th and Gunderson across from Lincoln School

Photo Credit: Joe Mazza - Brave Lux

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