PUTNEY, Vt.. — Every two years, for nearly two weeks, a small Vermont village becomes a center of international culture.
The village is Putney. The event is the sixth Puppets in the Green Mountains Festival, from Sept. 12 to 21, produced by Sandglass Theater, a mecca for creative puppetry based in Putney.
Award-winning puppeteers Eric and Ines Zeller Bass, the organizers of the festival, have assembled a world-class roster of puppet companies from Brazil, Taiwan, Quebec, Sweden, France, Bulgaria, as well as Vermont, to take part in the 10-day event.
They will perform at a variety of venues in the southern Vermont towns of Putney, Bellows Falls and Brattleboro.
Venue spaces include an intimate theater, a grassy field, a black-box theater, a historic opera house, an art deco arts center and an apple warehouse.
Opening night features the world premiere of "Ballad," an original work produced by the Basses with musician Nick Keil, music by Keith Murphy of Nightingale, and directed by Richard Van Schouwen of the Q-Staff Theater in Albuquerque, N.M. They have created a piece suitable for adult and teenage audiences about some of Vermont's traditional institutions: ice fishing, apple picking, woodcutting and muddy roads.
Using humor, imagery and song, it examines themes like time, place and aging. "Ballad" will be performed at the New England Youth Theatre in Brattleboro on Sept. 12, 20 and 21.
From the jungles of the Amazon comes "Animals of Brazil," a spectacular performance by the Pia Fraus troupe of puppets, dance and music, presenting an array of indigenous Brazilian creatures. Animals will be outdoors at the Living Memorial Park in Brattleboro on Sept. 13 and at the Opera House in Bellows Falls on Sept. 14. "Animals of Brazil" is appropriate for audiences of all ages.
Family audiences won't want to miss "Carnival of Taiwanese Hand Puppetry," created by The Happy Puppetry Company from Taiwan. The stage comes alive with finely embroidered costumes, exquisite headdresses, and delicately carved faces of the puppets, which stand nearly a foot high.
Performances in both Brattleboro and Bellows Falls are available for school groups on Sept. 16 and 17. "Carnival" can also be seen at the New England Youth Theatre in Brattleboro on Sept. 21.
Les Sages Fous, a company from Quebec, invites us to join the magical and wordless world they create at the Green Mountain Orchard in Putney. The magnificent exploration ship, the HMS Bizzarium, sails the seven seas to search for creatures of myth and lore. "Bizzarium: Aquarium" on Sept. 20 is a must see for the entire family.
Created specially for children, the Velo Theatre from France returns to the festival with "There's a Rabbit in the Moon." One dark night, far, far away, Thomas Snout was born. Ever since, he has been collecting nights, capturing them with his bare hands.
Over the years Thomas Snout has collected 3,845 nights, big and little, with or without moonlight, starred and starless, nights of his own, nights of others, as well as a few that were only on loan. It will be performed in the intimate Latchis 4 Theater in Brattleboro on Sept. 20 and 21.
Marionettes, hand puppets and table puppets have a great kinship with monkeys, and they perform the most amazing feats in "Monkey Business." Anders and Cissi, creators of Sweden's Dockteaterverkstan, craft a performance filled with acrobatics, pranks, jokes, tricks and magic. Performances in both Brattleboro and Bellows Falls take place on Sept. 19 and 20.
From Bulgaria, Credo Theater brings us "Daddy's Always Right," a story snuggled among drifts of dazzling snow about the true value of the simple things in life. Performances at the New England Youth Theater in Brattleboro on Sept. 18 and 19.
The Contadores de Estorias have performed all over the world as Brazil's most venerated cultural puppet ambassadors. With "Collected Pieces," Marcos and Rachel Ribas and Inez Petri present a program of their most beautiful scenes of Brazilian life. Contadores de Estorias will be presented at the Sandglass Theater in Putney on Sept. 20 and 21.
