You may have thought that puppetry had become something of a lost art, what with all the post-millennial tension clogging the air these days. Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop; Kukla, Fran, and Ollie; Sifl and Olly – the list of late, great felt-and-fisted social commentators such as these has, indeed, dwindled since the days of, oh, President Eisenhower. So, you may be forgiven for thinking that puppetry was in decline. That said, however, there’s a marionette in the White House these days, so what better time to unpack the sawdust trunk of disconcerting anthropomorphism? To that end, the fine folks over at the Escapist Bookstore will be presenting The Wages of Wishes, featuring Hayley Lou Haden and Cosmo Segerson of the New Orleans-based Smoke and Mirrors Puppet Productions.
“They’re friends of mine who are former circus performers,” explains the Escapist’s Julianne Sherrod, “and now they’re going on the road with their puppet show, which runs about an hour and is accompanied by their friend Ruben on the Wurlitzer Funmaker Organ.”
Ruben who?
“Just Ruben. Like Cher.”
Right.
In addition, the troupe will be screening a variety of old 16mm short films from the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties, after which the fantoccini frolics will commence. As always with Escapist events, expect intellectually stimulating chaos and wonderment. And a nice fruit punch.
The Wages of Wishes will be performed Friday, July 16, 8pm, at the Escapist Bookstore (2209 S. First). $5 admission. Register to vote on site! For more info: www.escapistbookstore.com.
This article appears in July 16 • 2004.