If you are looking for something different to do this weekend I suggest catching a performance by the Paperhand Puppet Intervention. This has been on my Triangle bucket list for years and I finally had the chance to catch them last weekend. The group uses diverse styles of puppetry and artistic expression to create shows that inspire and promote social change. Performances feature giant puppets, masks, multi person marionettes, shadow puppetry, and stilt dancing to create magical larger than life characters to tell a thoughtful and entertaining story.
I saw them perform their latest production, The Beautiful Beast, Paperhand’s seventeenth annual summer pageant. The show explores the relationship between humans, the earth that supports us, and “the beasts” of the natural world and how they are viewed through different lenses as both creatures to fear and adore. In addition to the elaborate visuals of the puppets and masks a critical and equally impressive part of each performance is the live original music performed by a six person band right in front of the audience. Not only do they provide a great score to the show, they are also the source of sound effects and provide narration and vocals throughout the numbers.
This year’s production opened at Chapel Hill’s Forest Theatre last week and runs each weekend with shows Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through September 5th. After that the show will move to NCMA in Raleigh (Sept. 9–11) followed by The Carolina Theatre of Greensboro (Sept. 17–18). I highly recommend catching the show at the Forest Theater as the outdoor setting under the trees is wonderful and really adds a lot to the overall experience.
Tickets for the Forest Theater performances are only available at the door and are sold on a first come first serve basis. Seating is general admission with suggested ticket donations of $15 for adults and $8 for children. Nobody is turned due to lack of funds. For more information vist http://paperhand.org/.
The Triangle Explorer 