Review: DEAD AS A DODO A SPELLBINDING DELIGHT at Studebaker Theater At The Fine Arts Building

The 8th AnnChicago International Puppet Theater Festival kicked off with a bang, thanks to Wakka Wakka’s production of DEAD AS A DODO, a visually stunning and absolutely heartfelt piece of theater.

Co-written and directed by Gwendolyn Warnock and Kirjan Waage (with credit also given to The Ensemble Company), this creative, 80-minute show plays through Jan. 25 at the historic Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building (410 S. Michigan).  

Set in the underworld in the post-apocalyptic future, the plot concerns the unlikely friendship between a skeleton boy and a skeleton dodo.  At the start of the musical, the boy is literally beginning to lose pieces of himself as the pair scavenge for any replacement parts

“When you vanish, will you forget everyone you love,” the boy ponders his pending fate early on. It’s a selfless statement; he is more concerned about forgetting rather than being forgotten. . It’s an interesting take on grief from the perspective of the deceased.

 The surface world has been destroyed, leaving “nothing but the bones.” This suits Bone King (essentially death) just fine. He and his daughter lord over the underworld, hoarding lost bones.

While the plot is logical in terms of the traditional heroes journey, its execution takes you in places that are unpredictable and exciting.When the dodo begins to grow feathers, skin and muscle (a resurrective act that begins to weaken the Bone King, threatening his power), the two best friens set off on a journey through the underworld that leads them through the River Styx, a realm of monsters and other fantastical places.

In addition to the boney main characters, Waage’s surreal puppet designs include a florescent whale that eats lava rocks and woolly mammoth.

Costumes (also by Warnock and Waage) have the puppeteers cleverly concealed in a glittery fabric that makes the eight-person ensemble shimmer like stars (perhaps a nod to the fact that we –like the creatures they move and speak through—are all born out of stardust).

Projection design by Erato Tzavar suggest not only set, but movement, weather and something magical (no spoilers). The lighting design by Daphne Agosin (Scott Monnin is credited for the tour based on Agosin’s original ideas) makes use of both light and shadow to create an immersive world in which the puppets are in the spotlight (and their human puppeteers blend in seamlessly).

Chicago has always had a soft spot for puppetry, going back to the early days of television when Burr Tillstrom first brought the artform into American homes with “Kukla, Fran and Ollie.” Programming like DAAD, along with the 100 events scheduled through Feb. 1 throughout the city is a fine testament to Chicago’s commitment to preserve, promote and elevate this artform.. These including two shows being presented in various neighborhoods free of charge: STONE BY STONE from Spain and   HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MON AMI (see https://chicagopuppetfest.org/2026-free-neighborhood-tour/ for information on these free events suitable for all ages).

Photo by Erato Tzavara, courtesy of Wakka Wakka.