Firehouse + Rumput Premiere Chandler Hubbard's Shadow Play THE MINOTAUR

Firehouse Theatre and Rumput will premiere a collaborative shadow theatre performance based on the Minotaur myth, reimagined by Richmond playwright Chandler Hubbard. There will be two performances of THE MINOTAUR on Saturday, April 2 at 5:30pm and 7:30pm, proceeded at 3pm by a free, all-ages shadow theatre workshop.

THE MINOTAUR shadow play features an original score composed by Danis Sugiyanto (Java) that will be performed live by Rumput, and artwork and puppets designed by Yuda Putra (Bali). This project has been made possible by a grant from the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond.

THE MINOTAUR playwright and director Chandler Hubbard is a 2012 graduate of the University of Virginia. Produced plays include Firehouse Theatre's ANIMAL CONTROL (2019 Martha Hill Newell Playwright's Fund; nominated for Richmond Theatre Critics Best Original Work; 2020 American Theatre Critics Association / Steinberg New Play Award Citation), and Richmond Triangle Player's MOLLY HOUSE (John Knapp and Tim Gillham New Works Program aka So.Queer Playwrights' Festival).

The free shadow puppet workshop will be conducted by Edward Breitner, a Richmond teacher and shadow puppeteer. Breitner studied Indonesian shadow theatre at Institut Seni Indonesia in Surakarta, Central Java. They are currently a puppetry instructor at the School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC) and a puppeteer with Limp Wrist Puppetry.

Based in Richmond, Rumput performs innovative stringband music and shadow theatre. They often collaborate with their teachers in Indonesia where they studied kroncong (Indonesian stringband music) and wayang kulit (shadow theatre).

Rumput has won awards at the Cliff Top Old Time Festival in West Virginia and the Richmond International Film Festival. They're performed at the Smithsonian Institution and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, and at many universities music and theater venues along the American east coast, and internationally including tours and residencies in Java in 2017 and 2018, performing with local artists at each stop and collaborating with guest artistic director Danis Sugiyanto.

There are limited spots for the shadow theatre workshop and THE MINOTAUR performances. To reserve/purchase go to https://minotaur.eventbrite.com or call 804.355.2001.

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