Acclaimed Puppet Artist Theodora Skipitares to Kick Off La MaMa Puppet Series 3 with THE TRAVELING PLAYERS

 

Acclaimed puppet artist and director Theodora Skipitares presents her world-premiere play THE TRAVELING PLAYERS - a play-within-a-play focusing on four international female activists who, while enacting excerpts from Euripides' TROJAN WOMEN, share moments from their own struggles -- with previews beginning October 8, prior to an official opening on October 11 at La MaMa Annex in Manhattan.

Designed, directed, written and adapted by Ms. Skipitares, THE TRAVELING PLAYERS is a circus-like play-within-a-play featuring four female activists in 13-foot tall puppet form (based on four real-life female activists) - 2 from Zimbabwe, 1 from Kenya and 1 from Afghanistan - who, while enacting excerpts from Euripides' TROJAN WOMEN, each share a part of their own, often dangerous lives. Each performance will feature original music composed and performed by internationally acclaimed composer Sxip Shirey.

THE TRAVELING PLAYERS - a member of www.NYpuppets.org - is the kick-off production for "La MaMa Puppet Series 3" - an annual event celebrating the diverse forms of puppet theatre throughout the world. "La MaMa Puppet Series 3" will continue with Aphids Puppet Theatre of Australia's A QUARRELING PAIR from October 29 through November 8, and Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre's version of Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT from November 12 to November 29.

The cast of THE TRAVELING PLAYERS is as follows: Carolyn Goelzer (winner of the 2006 Outstanding Actress New York Innovative Theatre Award for IPHIGENIA); La Vonda Elam; Sheila Dabney (Obie Award-winner &2-time NYITA nominee); and Nicky Paraiso (winner of the 2006 Outstanding Featured Actor NYITA for IPHIGENIA). Lighting design is by Jesse Belsky.

Sxip Shirey has played the exploding circus organ for the pyro-technic clowns of the Daredevil Opera Company at the Sydney Opera House and the Kennedy Center, industrial flutes for acrobats on mechanical jumping boots at The New Victory Theater in New York, tamponophone with The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus at Bonaroo, hillbilly music for gypsies in Transylvania and gypsy music for hillbillies in West Virginia with The Luminescent Orchestrii. Shirey has performed at Boston's First Night, support act for Dresden Dolls US tour; at The Round House in London, England; at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, The Knitting Factory and CBGB's in New York; at TED in Monterey, California; at the Big Ears Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival; and at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia. He is currently working on music for a short film directed by Neil Gaiman entitled SANDMAN, AMERICAN GODS. Shirey worked with Chorographer Heidi Lasky and disabled dancers on "GIMP "which had a Boston Premier at The Institute of Contemporary Art; composed for the feature film "Hotel Gramercy Park" by director Douglas Keeve (Unzipped); collaborated with composer Rachelle Garniez to create and perform the work "Shadowland" for MOMA's Surrealistic Tribute to Salvador Dali; composed and musical directed for "Marsupial Girl" at The Minneapolis Children's Theater by playwright Lisa D'Amour; and composed for 5 George Meilies silent films including "A Trip to the Moon" for The Museum of The Moving Image in Queens with presentation by International Book Award writer Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabaret).

Theodora Skipitares has been creating large-scale theatre works with puppets for more than 25 years, making her La MaMa debut with UNDERGROUND in 1992. Ms. Skipitares recently presented TRILOGY about which The New York Times wrote: "With abundant ingenuity, Theodora Skipitares makes the Trojan War, a central saga of Greek tragedy, a puppet spectacular." Other credits include THE AGE OF INVENTION, DEFENDERS OF THE CODE, UNDER THE KNIFE and A HARLOT'S PROGRESS. Her works have been produced throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. She has received numerous grants and awards, including Guggenheim and Rockefeller Fellowships, six NEA grants, and a UNIMA Citation for Excellence in Puppetry. In 2005, Ms. Skipitares' adaptation of Euripides' IPHIGENIA won two New York Innovative Theatre Awards. In 2000, she received the American Theatre Wing Design Award for A HARLOT'S PROGRESS and in 2004, she won the Helen Merrill Distinguished Playwriting Award. In 2000, Ms. Skipitares was a Fulbright Fellow in India where she created two original works.

Performances of THE TRAVELING PLAYERS run October 8 through 25 at La MaMa Annex (74A East 4th Street), Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm. Tickets are $18. For reservations call 212-475-7710 or visit www.lamama.org

 

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