Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre Presents FOWL PLAY: CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS At La MaMa

When it comes to choosing a leader, birds are just like us. Subject to gaggle mentality, bitter political campaigns and senseless squawking, they argue endlessly and viciously peck each other. 

That is inspiration to Vít Horejš and Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre (CAMT) for "Fowl Play: Conference of the Birds," an object theater rock opera with music by Avi Fox-Rosen, inspired by Farid us-Din Attar's 12th century Sufi poem, "The Conference of the Birds" as re-told by contemporary illustrator and author Peter Sís.  The world premiere of the piece will be presented by La MaMa E.T.C. from November 21 to December 8 in its Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 East Fourth Street.

"The Conference of the Birds" is an allegorical epic poem that explores themes of spiritual enlightenment and the journey toward union with the divine. A flock of birds, drawn from all species and led by a hoopoe (a wise bird), embarks on a quest to find their king, the mystical Simorgh, a symbol of divine truth and enlightenment. They travel through seven mystical valleys that represent stages of spiritual development. Many tire and drop out of the quest, many die of fright and homesickness. Those who endure the voyage reach the mountain to learn a profound lesson in a surprise twist.

 

The first book for adults by celebrated children's book creator Peter Sís is an adaptation of this tale, titled "The Conference of the Birds" (Penguin, 2011). His illustrations, as seen in that book, are transformed into projections by Tom Lee to form the scenic design of this production.  Puppets, objects and costumes are devised in the spirit of Sís's colorful illustrations, but they are built with found objects including flags, flowers, banknotes, traffic tickets, newspapers, political yard signs, sales flyers and garbage.

The style of the opera's music, composed by Avi Fox-Rosen and played by a four-piece band, is angular melodic art rock--a love child of Kurt Weill and Jimi Hendrix.

Author/director Vít Horejš writes, "The performance is devoted to the burning topic modern democracies face in election years--selecting a leader. It's currently an agonizing process in the USA, as the very foundation of democracy is challenged.  It may not be fair to project human foibles onto guiltless birds, but the resemblance is uncanny. Birds and humans also share enormous potential--soaring to the skies searching for worms and eternal truth, and selfless achievements in singing, music, and artistic creation including painting and hatching eggs."

The piece is performed by Deborah Beshaw-Farrell (Hoopoe), Michelle Beshaw (Noisy Bird), Vít Horejš (Scholar), SK (Duck), Theresa Linnihan (Nightingale and Sparrow), Gage Morgan (Peacock), Sammy Rivas (Owl), Sarazina Stein (Dancing Lovebird), Emily LaRochelle (Dancing Lovebird) and Ben Watts (Flock member).

The Fowl Play Band is Avi Fox-Rosen (guitar, voice), Rima Fand (violin, keys, voice), Eleonore Weill (flutes, keys, voice) and Jesse Chevan (drums, percussion).

Assistant Director is Bonnie Sue Stein. Illustrations are by Peter Sís from his book “Conference of the Birds.” Music is composed by Avi Fox-Rosen. Choreography is by Martha Tornay with the cast. Scenic/Production Design is by Tom Lee and Theresa Linnihan. Costumes are by Michelle Beshaw. Lighting is by Daisy Long. Sound Design is by Boris Nazarov. Production Supervisor is Rebecca Werner. Assistant Stage Managers are Nora Iammurino and Alex Church-Gonzales. Dramaturg is Michael Posnick.  Script and music consultant is Frank London.  Bird behavior consultant is Dr. Rebecca Safran, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of Colorado. (https://www.safran-lab.com/meet-the-team.html)

Vít Horejš (Libretto, Director) was born in Prague and flew from Czechoslovakia in 1978. In 1990, with fellow émigrés, he founded Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre (CAMT) in New York. He has translated, written, adapted, and directed over two dozen marionette plays for CAMT. He is a resident artist at La MaMa Theatre, where his troupe has performed "Golem" with score by Frank London (1997, 1998 Henson International Puppetry Festival, and 2011), "The Little Rivermaid Rusalka" (1999), "Johannes Dokchtor Faust" (2000), "The Prose of the Transsiberian and of the Little Joan of France" (2001), "Don Juan or the Wages of Debauchery" (2003), "The Life and Times of Lee Harvey Oswald" (2004, 2017); "Once There Was a Village" (2007), an ethno-opera with puppets, found objects and music by Frank London of The Klezmatics; "Twelfth Night (or What You Will" (2009), "The Republic, or My Dinner with Socrates" (2013),  "A Christmas Carol, Oy! Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa" (2014), "The New World Symphony: Dvorák in America" (2016) and "Audience" by Vaclav Havel (2023).  Other works include "The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes, and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y.," "The Bass Saxophone," "Hamlet," "Twelfth Night," Kacha and the Devil," The White Doe, Or, The Piteous Trybulations of the Sufferyng Countess Jenovefa," and "Twelve Iron Sandals."

Horejš has performed on stage, in films, and on TV. His published works include "Twelve Iron Sandals" (1985), "Pig and Bear" (1989), and "Faust" (1993). He co-produced "Faust on a String," an award-winning documentary about Czech puppetry, and wrote the lead essay for Czechoslovak-American Puppetry (GOH Productions, 1994). Horejs has received commission grants from The Henson Foundation, the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Foundation for Jewish Culture, Columbia University, and New York Foundation for the Arts.  He received the 2018 Czechoslovak Society for Arts and Sciences (SVU) Award in recognition of his lifetime achievement in fostering the art form of Czech and Slovak puppetry, the 2019 Acker Award and two Innovative Theater award (NYIT) nominations (2009, 2023).

Peter Sís (Illustrations) is an author, filmmaker and illustrator.  He was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia. In 1982 a film project on the 1984 Winter Olympics brought him to Los Angeles. After the Soviet Union and its satellites decided to boycott the event, Sís refused the Czech government's request for his return home and he was granted asylum. After corresponding with children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, he moved to New York to begin a career in illustration. Since then, he has written and illustrated dozens of books for children, winning numerous honors including six New York Times Book Review's Best Illustrated Book awards.  Sís's illustrations often portray a shadowy, fast-shifting experience of childhood. Hundreds of his drawings have been published in the New York Times Book Review and in numerous other magazines. His visual art has also included subway and airport murals, book jackets and hats. Sís's illustrations often portray a shadowy, fast-shifting experience of childhood. A selection of his films is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. He is winner of the Caldecott Honor, a MacArthur genius fellowship, and many other awards. Vit Horejš  first saw Peter Sís onstage at an underground Rock Prague Club in 1970s, where Sís was a DJ while studying art. They became friends in the early 1980s in NYC after they both had emigrated from the oppressive totalitarian regime. This is their first artistic collaboration.

Scenic and production design are by Tom Lee and Theresa Linnihan.  Tom Lee (scenic and projection design) is a renowned director, designer and puppet artist who has worked with CAMT on several productions at La MaMa, where his theater career started.  His work often explores the synthesis of manipulated figures and objects using film techniques and animation.  Theresa Linnihan (scenic design and performance), Associate Director of CAMT, designs puppets, costumes and sets and performs in the company's shows. She received a 2024 Artistic Achievement Award from The New York Independent Theater Awards (NYIT).  

Avi Fox-Rosen (Composer) is a Brooklyn-based guitarist, singer, songwriter, Jewish culture-maker, producer and multi-instrumentalist who is equally at home in rock, Yiddish, klezmer, theater, and improvised music. He has worked with Adrienne Cooper, Daniel Kahn, Sarah Gordon, Michael Winograd, Basya Schechter, The Klezmatics, and solo projects of Matt Darriau, Frank London, and many others including his brother, bassist and singer Benjy Fox-Rosen. As a songwriter, Rosen makes music with a sardonic sense of humor, dense and dark lyrics, and enchantingly twisted melodies. (https://www.avifoxrosen.org)

Michelle Beshaw (costume designer/performer) has appeared prolifically in CAMT productions including "The Life and Times of Lee Harvey Oswald," "Twelfth Night" and "The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius," for which she won the 2009 Innovative Theatre Award. She has performed her own original works at Mabou Mines, St. Ann's Warehouse, Philadelphia Fringe and La Mama’s Puppet Slam.

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. La MaMa's 63rd Season, The “La MaMa Beyond Season,” expands its efforts to develop creative methods and tools for greater access to the arts.  Pop up performances and installations will be happening in parks, neighborhood community centers, as well as online. By going beyond La MaMa's physical campus,  new audiences and artists from different contexts are welcomed into the creative process.  La MaMa has been honored with 30+ Obie Awards, dozens of Drama Desk, Bessie Awards and Villager Awards, the 2018 Regional Theatre Tony Award, and most recently a 2023 New York Drama Critics' Circle Special Citation. La MaMa is a creative home to artists and resident companies from around the world, many of whom have made lasting contributions to the arts, including Blue Man Group, Bette Midler, Ping Chong, Jackie Curtis, Robert De Niro, André De Shields, Adrienne Kennedy, Cole Escola, Bridget Everett, Harvey Fierstein, Diane Lane, Charles Ludlam, Tom Eyen, Spiderwoman Theater, Tadeusz Kantor, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Meredith Monk, David and Amy Sedaris, Stephanie Hsu, Julie Taymor, Kazuo Ohno, Tom O'Horgan, Andrei Serban, Liz Swados and Andy Warhol. La MaMa's vision of nurturing new artists and new work from all nations, cultures, races and identities remains as strong today as it was when Ellen Stewart first opened the doors in 1961.

 

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