MARIPOSA NOCTURNA Begins Tonight at 16th Street Theater

After opening the 2015 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival to sold-out houses and critical acclaim earlier this year, MARIPOSA NOCTURNA: A Puppet Triptych, conceived and created by Stephanie Diaz, comes to 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn, to celebrate Day of the Dead (Dia de los Mertos) for two weeks only tonight, October 22 - November 1, 2015.

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 work.

Featuring puppeteers Stephanie Diaz, Jessica Mondres, Jazmin Corona, Laura Shatkus, Izzy Strazzabosco, Chris Hauser, Hannah Bennett, a film by Jessica Mondres and a score by composer Barry Bennett, 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.