PUTNEY — UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionnette) has selected Putney's Sandglass Theater to perform “Autumn Portraits” in Cuba during its international conference April 17 to 28.
The UNIMA Festival takes place every four years, always in a different country. Eric Bass, Sandglass's co-artistic director and founder, will perform his solo work four times throughout the festival.
According to Bass, the invitation is an honor.
“Sandglass performed in the 1984 festival in Dresden, East Germany (before the reunification). In those days, the festival moved back and forth between the East Bloc and West Bloc countries, trying to bridge the Cold War divide. These days, the festival continues to be an event that opens up the relationship between specific countries and artists from around the world,” he said.
Bass said this is the first time a puppet festival of this scale has taken place in Cuba. “And there have been few opportunities for puppeteers from the United States to perform there - and to see some of the many troupes of Cuban puppeteers, as well,” he added.
Bass said Sandglass' invitation to perform there came about suddenly.
“Heather Henson's company was scheduled to perform there, but at the last moment was unable to go. A call went out to a few U.S. artists who could step in and take the performances. 'Autumn Portraits' was chosen to fill the bill. We are grateful to Heather and her company, IBEX Puppetry, for having helped facilitate our taking over the tour they had planned to do themselves.”
Kirk Murphy, Sandglass puppeteer and company administrator, will join Bass on the tour as lighting technician and documentarian.
They will perform at three venues in Cuba: in the town of Matanzas, during the official inauguration of Taller Internacional de Títeres de Matanzas, the festival's main location and the site of the World Congress of UNIMA; they will also perform in Santa Clara and in Havana.
Founded in Prague in 1929, UNIMA is a non- governmental organization and an official partner of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It gathers people from around the world who contribute to the development of the art of puppetry.
'Autumn Portraits' on the move
A signature piece for Bass, “Autumn Portraits” has been performed for 30 years to great acclaim at theaters and festivals throughout Australia, Europe, Israel, and the United States.
Sandglass told The Commons in an interview for an earlier piece that Bass “uses autumn as a metaphor for that time of life when one's thoughts turn inward, when we feel the loss of summer warmth. […] Each puppet 'portrait' presents a moment in one character's existence.”
Bass says that each of the rod puppets acts out his story in precise and evocative gestures as they meet their pasts, their selves, even their puppet deaths.
For most of his performance, Bass manipulates the characters in full view of the audience, combining his own craft with traditional Japanese bunraku (dating to 1684) methods of puppetry.
“Some are funny, some touching, some bizarre, and all speak to the human experience as only puppets can,” Sandglass notes.
Also in Cuba, Bass will present an illustrated talk, with video, describing Sandglass's 30 years of work in the art of puppetry.
“International dialogue has always been one of the most important aspects of touring Sandglass work and of presenting work of other artists from other countries and cultures,” Bass said.
“We want to know what kinds of audiences Cuban puppeteers perform for, what aspects of culture the work serves, what materials they have available and how that affects their work.”
This trip will also let Sandglass see new work that they could bring to Southern Vermont, “especially work that would be of special interest to our community,” said Bass.
“Going to a festival is one of the best ways for us to see new work, especially a festival in a country that is not easy to access.”
Bass said the 2015 Puppets in the Green Mountains Festival, for the first time, has a theme: “They Are Just Like Us: Puppet Theater About Immigration and Humanization.”
“Perhaps we will see something that will be great for our 2015 festival,” Bass said.