Zen and the Art of Puppetry

Zen and the Art of Puppetry A Master Class in Puppetry with Bernd Ogrodnik

THIS IS AN ONLINE PAYMENT OPTION FOR THIS PROGRAM. REGISTRANTS ALSO NEED TO CONTACT THE BOX OFFICE FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND FORMS.

PROGRAM DATE: MARCH 8, 2019, 7-9pm LOCATION: The Station, Railtown, 91 Baker Street This Master Class is for adults. Maximum 15 participants Fee: $10

This Master Class focuses on the relationships between puppeteer, puppet and audience with regard to what links them together.

The starting point is the idea that the puppeteer is a service provider who communicates a specific idea, story, or concept that entertains, educates, and inspires. Workshop participants will explore various tools and techniques that best achieve this goal of communication.

A puppeteer presents an object - the puppet - so that it appears alive. By extending energy into the puppet, the puppeteer imbues it with a unique lifeforce. Like the sword of the samurai, or the violin of the musician, the puppet becomes an extension of the puppeteer's energy. Where does this energy come from, and how is it transferred to the audience?

An exploration of different puppet styles, techniques, breathing awareness movement and balance will help us find some answers.

The program is a combination of lecture and hands-on exercises offering puppeteers a refreshing look at the philisophical and practical backbone to their art.

ABOUT BERND OGRODNIK Bernd Ogrodnik serves as Master Puppeteer for the National Theatre of Iceland, and is co-founder and Artistic Director of Worlds of Puppets, the Icelandic Center for Puppetry Arts. Bernd has performed and directed on stages across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North- and Meso-America and his work has frequently been presented in film and television.