Looking Glass Theatre's ADVENTURES OF THE PUPPET PRINCESS Opens 10/18

The Looking Glass Theatre presents its newest children's show, ADVENTURES OF THE PUPPET PRINCESS, a Balinese fairytale with music written and directed by Fulbright recipient Jennifer Goodlander, which opens Saturday, October 18 and plays through Sunday, November 23. Performances will be Saturdays at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

ADVENTURES OF THE PUPPET PRINCESS follows Putu, a troublesome tomboy, and Nyoman, the neighbor boy that her father, a master puppeteer (dalang), is teaching about the art of puppets. Putu loves to play with the puppets and make up stories, but in Bali girls can't be puppeteers, or can they? When Putu and Nyoman get lost in the jungle, they encounter fantastical creatures who share stories through dance, comedy and masked drama. But their only way out of the jungle is to create a puppet show for a witch (layak)! Reluctant to work together, can they set aside their animosity to perform a puppet show magical enough to impress the witch and get home? Is all that seems scary and evil also good?

The cast includes Melissa E. Carroll, Brenda Cooney, Kerri Dillon, Stephanie DiPilla, Joe Fanelli, Yolanda Felton, Jennifer A. Grundy, Miron Gusso, Marianna Kozij, Yasuhito Miyazono, Kira Neel, Vicki Oceguera, Paige O'Malley, Tyfara Andazi Panton, Beth Ann Sweezer, Hiroko Tanaka, Cate Wienberg, Laura Lee Williams and Liz York.

The crew includes Jennifer Goodlander (director/playwright), Tina M. Cox (musical director), Christine A Barclay and Ann P. Thayer (assistant directors/stage managers), David Monroy (lighting design), Meagan Miller-McKeever (scenic design) and Ni Made Murniati (Ubud, Bali; costume design)

Playwright/Director Jennifer Goodlander received her MFA in Asian Performance and Directing from the University of Hawaii, where she directed numerous original plays. She studied and performed many styles of traditional Asian theatre including Chinese opera, noh, kyogen, kabuki, hula, and others. Ms. Goodlander received a John Young Award for her artistry and a Foreign Language Area Studies fellowship from the U.S. Department of Education to study Indonesian language, culture, and performing arts.. She has drawn from her Asian theatre training by directing interculturally informed productions of THE BACCHAE at the Looking Glass and a noh-inspired production of THE GHOST SONATA. Ms. Goodlander participated in the Lincoln Center Director's Lab focusing on new work where she directed a staged reading of FIREFLIES by Suzue Toshiro that was later revised at the Japan Society. She recently completed course work for her PhD in Interdisciplinary Arts, focusing on theatre and performance studies, at Ohio University. Ms. Goodlander spent two summers in Bali studying performance and doing preliminary research for her dissertation on the expanding role of women in traditional Balinese performance. She received a Fulbright Research Award to support her dissertation research.

The Looking Glass Theatre's mission is to explore and expand the feminine aesthetic, producing works by historic female playwrights, new works by women, and productions of the classics re-imagined by contemporary women directors. In June 2006, The Looking Glass Theatre and Artistic Director Justine Lambert received The Lucille Lortel Award from The League of Professional Theatre Women. Additionally, New York Resident named Ms. Lambert one of the Top 100 New Yorkers of 2003 for her work with the company.

ADVENTURES OF THE PUPPET PRINCESS
A Balinese Fairytale with Music
Written & Directed by Jennifer Goodlander
October 18 – November 23
Saturday at 12pm & 2pm; Sunday at 2pm & 4pm
$15 Adults, $12 Children 12 and under
Info/Tix: www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com

The Looking Glass Theatre is located at 422 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.

ALSO THIS FALL:

THE SPANISH WIVES: A GROOVY TALE OF PEACE, LOVE, AND RESTORATION
Based on the Restoration Play by Mary Griffith Pix
Written and Directed by Aliza Shane
October 30 – November 23
Thursday – Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 7 p.m.
$18 General, $15 Seniors/students with valid ID only

FALL 2008 BENEFIT & GALA
An event filled with performances, prizes, food and drink, the semi-annual benefit supports Looking Glass programming
Wednesday, November 12 at 6 p.m.

THE WINTER 2008 WRITER/DIRECTOR FORUM
Semi-annual festival of new works featuring various playwrights and directors
December 4- 21
Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 5 p.m.

TICKETS & INFORMATION FOR ALL SHOWS: 212-307-9467 or www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com

Photo courtesty Looking Glass Theatre

 

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