Drama of Works and Galapagos Art Space present...

“The Best of PUNCH”

WEDNESDAY, August 27th, 8:00 PM, $7.00

At the NEW Galapagos Art Space

16 Main Street

DUMBO, Brooklyn

http://www.galapagosartspace.com

PUNCH, New York’s only consistent puppetry slam, is back and will present its first monthly showcase for the 2008-2009 season in the all new Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO. Curated by Gretchen Van Lente of Drama of Works, this month is The Best of PUNCH! In honor of Galapagos’ beautiful new space, this month’s showcase brings you only the best and brightest performers that have hit the PUNCH stage. The Best of PUNCH will feature some of the best performers and acts of the past three years:

• THE JOSH & TAMRA SHOW in their last NYC performance! Josh and Tamra are Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater veterans who mix long form improve and puppetery – drawing on the skills Josh developed as a Muppeteer with The Jim Henson Company. http://www.joshandtamra.com

• DIE HARD! THE PUPPET MUSICAL is brought to you courtesy of EXPLODING PUPPET PRODUCTIONS. Armed with a dizzying array of puppets plus a veritable smorgasbord of gripping musical numbers, Die Hard! brings you the epic tale of New York cop John McClane as he blows stuff up, befriends a local cop, and kicks some serious terrorist ass to save the puppet he loves. Music by James Walton, book and lyrics by John Ardolino. http://www.dhtpm.com/

• HOWIE LEIFER is a PUNCH regular who has delighted audiences with such creations as as a carousing sailor, toy theater, and melancholy marionettes.

• MATTY SIDLE is a filmmaker from the Bay Area. His creates absurd, black & white shorts that star Unicycle Baby Guy, a nice chap who happens to be all unicycle from the waist down.

• KATE BREHM has been performing in PUNCH and at Galapagos for years. As head of the performance group, imnotlost, Kate devises madcap puppetry and multimedia for the stage. http://www.imnotlost.net/

• DRAMA OF WORKS not only curates PUNCH, its members perform in it as well. They’ll present a new scene from their newest work, “Puppet Kafka” – an abstract look at Kafka’s life and work. They’ll also present THE SID & NANCY PUNCH & JUDY SHOW. Mike Wolf of TimeOut NY says “Short but not-at-all sweet, the Sid & Nancy Punch & Judy show is frayed, violent and hilarious in all the right places.” http://www.dramaofworks.com

* * * * *

“One of the companies at the center of [the new puppetry renaissance] is DRAMA OF WORKS, a Brooklyn-based collective led by Artistic Director Gretchen Van Lente…While many contemporary companies inspire ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from their audience, the focus is sometimes so exclusively on craft that the end result feels a little shallow. I have often left productions impressed by technique but wishing technique had been applied to something with more narrative and thematic depth. Drama of Works, however, consistently produces work that functions and satisfies on multiple levels.”

– Frank Episale, Performing Arts Journal

Check our regular site for other puppet goings-on:
http://www.dramaofworks.com

And also check out the Henson Foundation for other "
Puppet Happenings":
http://www.hensonfoundation.org