Eggleston & Virginia Stage to Bring Black Light Puppet Theatre to U.S.

Virginia Stage Company has announced a partnership with Eggleston that will bring Black Light Puppet Theatre, performed by artists with a range of abilities, to the United States for the first time.

The program comes from Virginia Stage Company's Education and Community Engagement Department's Theatre for Everyone initiative to provide a theatre experience for individuals of all abilities. Over the next six weeks, VSC Theatre Artists will be working intensively with five individuals from Eggleston, an organization that has provided support and assistance to people with disabilities for over 60 years. This educational and arte-therapeutic method integrates black lights, music, puppetry, and storytelling techniques.

Because its most important devices are visual, underscored with music, most audiences of any age can understand Black Light Puppet Theatre performances. The intended result is a theatrical work that combines grand spectacle with beautiful and moving art, all performed by highly functioning adults with individual abilities, who will be guided and assisted by trained artistic staff and personnel.

Virginia Stage Company strives to promote diversity in the arts by creating opportunities that are inclusive for both performers and audience members. As a part of the Theatre for Everyone initiative, Black Light Puppet Theatre targets people across the spectrum of ability, giving them a chance to learn the art of performance and accomplishment. Our goals include teaching, guiding, and reinforcing skills such as creative expression and interpersonal skills, as well as gaining a sense of confidence through the rehearsal and performance process.