Advertisement

A 'Glowing' Example Of Traditional Wisdom

By John Quinn
Puppetry is different from most of the other performance arts, and therein lies its magic. The audience sees the art, but not the artists. A willing suspension of disbelief is harder to maintain when the "actors" are obviously blockheads (though that could be said about some alleged "live" performers I've encountered). Appreciation for the genre depends on imagination – and it's not hard to conclude that puppetry appeals to the young. Children are more open-minded than adults. But stretching is good exercise, and exercising the imagination will keep an old brain thinking young.
To that end, PuppetART: Detroit Puppet Theater opens its 17th season with "Firebird," a reinvention of a traditional Russian folk tale. Its plot is simple. Ivan meets Vasilisa at a village festival and recognizes that she's the love of his life. Their first dance is barely begun when Vasilisa is snatched away by an evil force. Undaunted, Ivan packs a few essentials and sets out to find his missing love, regardless of his mother's misgivings.
Days of sleepless travel leave him exhausted, and Ivan falls asleep under a tree that bears golden apples. The iridescent plumed Firebird comes to feed at the tree, but is snared by a golden chain. Ivan frees the bird, who leaves a feather to guide his way. That way leads to a rock, where Ivan encounters one of the prime characters of Russian folklore, the witch Baba Yaga. The boy's act of kindness is rewarded when she reveals the entrance to the underground lair of the Black Dragon, the triple-headed reptile who had captured Vasalisa. Will Ivan be brave enough to overcome the Dragon and save his beloved? Spoiler alert: The very best folk tales end, "And they lived happily ever after."
There is a reason this synopsis is a tad long, and it's all to do with PuppetART's mission statement. "To explore a variety of cultures and to foster an appreciation of the wisdom of traditions, the beauty of the spirit and the art of diverse communities through puppet performances, exhibits and classes." "Firebird" is not just a Russian story; one finds motifs from a remarkable array of cultures. They are not limited to witches and dragons and golden apples. American mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell would consider "Firebird" is based on one of the most fundamental themes of storytelling – The Quest.
The Quest Hero sets out to find that which he lacks, lost or had stolen. His life is incomplete without it. He endures trials before he achieves his goal; if he's fortunate, he returns home changed and enriched. Ivan is a quest hero, as is Gilgamesh, Jason and his Argonauts, Orpheus, Sir Galahad and Bilbo Baggins. The easy flow of motifs among diverse cultures marks the unity of the human spirit; thus "Firebird" is an elegant vision of PuppetART's mission.
"Firebird" employs rod puppets; the characters are mounted on wooden sticks and are visible roughly from the waist up. One or both arms are controlled by more slender rods. Neither mouth nor fingers are articulated, but a flexible wrist joint allows for rather graceful gestures. The exceptions are the three heads of the Black Dragon, which while lacking limbs, can bite.
The stage is unique in this production. Our world is realized high on stage, allowing the puppeteers to work standing. But the dragon's underground lair is revealed below – a rising curtain becomes the roof of the cavern. The characters are switched out for full manikins. Hands are frequently visible, but our suspension of disbelief is intact. We get a glimpse of the timing necessary to get the manipulations right.
"Firebird" is attractive both to eye and ear. The music is Russian, ranging from two-century-old folk music to the chromatic modernism of Igor Stravinsky.
In his essay "On Fairy Stories," J. R. R. Tolkein, creator of the above-mentioned Baggins, wrote about the "Tree of Tales," comparing the vast body of traditional literature to a tree whose leaves are of a similar structure but each of unique design. Time and again that image is strengthened when artists play with the classics. "Firebird" is a worthy addition to the tree.

REVIEW:
'Firebird'
PuppetART
at Detroit Puppet Theater
25 E. Grand River Ave., Detroit
2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, 25
2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26
40 minutes; no intermission.
$10 adult, $5 child.
313-961-7777
http://www.puppetart.org

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement