MFA Puppet Arts Festival Begins Tomorrow

Connecticut Repertory Theatre will present the world premiere of three puppetry works onstage in one innovative evening under the banner of The MFA Puppet Arts Festival. For 50 years, UConn's Puppet Arts program defined the cutting edge of new theatre, and this dynamic evening will be no exception. MFA Puppet Arts Festival will be held in the Studio Theatre from March 24 - April 3, 2016. For tickets and information please visit crt.uconn.edu or call (860) 486 2113.

The three one-act plays range in topic and style. Ana Craciun-Lambru presents Dust, a piece inspired by the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City. Dust incorporates shadow and object puppetry. Gavin Cummins has created a one-person play entitled Ok, I Love You, Bye, incorporating different styles of shadow and object puppetry. Kalob Martinez molds Macbeth into, El Beto, a story of lust and blood set in the midst the Mexican Drug cartel.

Dust, is a one-woman performance where movement, shadow, puppet and object theatre techniques are blended together. Craciun-Lambru, a native Romanian, was inspired by her own personal story, and explores the journey of an immigrant woman who came to America, and began to work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Ok, Love You, Bye is about the process of an individual's grief after a tragedy. In a series of episodes, Gavin Cummins tells the story of the struggle to forge a new life in our old world. Finally, El Beto, explores the present day Mexican drug cartel and the worship of the world's fastest growing religion, Santa Muerte. Through a combination of shadow puppetry and hand puppetry, Martinez explores the story of El Beto, a man at a crossroads, as blood begets blood.

Artistic Director Vincent J. Cardinal observes, "Our puppeters consistently push the boundaries of theatre, confounding expectations, and thrilling us with their unpredictable ways of seeing the world. The MFA Puppet Arts Festival promises to be an exciting and edgy evening of the freshest kind of performance."

In conjunction with the MFA Puppet Arts Festival, additional performances of a fourth play, ECHO by Christopher Mullens is taking place at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry from March 24 - April 3, 2016. ECHO is a multi-media immersive spectacle combining puppets, digital projection and original music in the re-telling of a classic Greek myth.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

The production team includes: Ana Craciun-Lambru, Gavin Cummins, Kalob Martinez (Creators, Directors, Puppeteers and Performers), Danielle Verkennes (Lighting Design), Jelena Antanasijevic (Costume Design), Daniel Bria (Sound Design), and Tim Brown and John Parmalee (Scenic Design).

PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION

Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Select matinee performances start at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Season subscriptions and single tickets are available now. Single tickets range from $7 to $30. All student tickets are only $7.

Children must be at least 4 years old to attend CRT productions. For additional ticket information or to charge tickets by phone, call 860.486.2113. All sales are final; no refunds. Play selections and performance dates are subject to change.

Please call the box office at 860.486.2113 for tickets and additional information or visit www.crt.uconn.edu for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change.

The Studio Theatre is located on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT.

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