PUTNEY — Some see autumn as an invitation, voluntary or not, for our thoughts to turn inward. Spring and summer have slipped away, and winter's not so distant.
Marking that moment within and without, and continuing an annual arts tradition, is Sandglass Theater's Eric Bass, who is set to present his award winning solo puppeteering performance, Autumn Portraits, this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23-24, at 8 p.m.
Autumn Portraits is a compelling evening-long solo puppet-and-mask performance, a series of five interconnected vignettes, each exploring one puppet character and its interplay with its manipulator, who might appear as a masked figure - or simply as a voice from the sky.
Each of Bass' puppet “portraits” presents a moment in one character's existence. Some are funny, some are touching, and some are bizarre. But each speaks to the human experience, as only puppets can.
Because of its theme of life reflection, Autumn Portraits is perhaps best appreciated by adult audiences, though older children might certainly appreciate it.
Bass' rod puppets act out their stories in precise and evocative gestures as they meet their pasts, their selves, even their puppet deaths. He performs solo, and for most of his performance manipulates the characters in full view of the audience. He combines his own craft with traditional Japanese Bunraku puppetry.
Sandglass Theater is at 17 Kimball Hill Rd., in Putney. Tickets are $16, seniors and students $13. For reservations and information, contact Sandglass Theater at 802-387-4051, [email protected], or www.sandglasstheater.org.