Jester – Aleah Black

Jester is a work-in-progress piece by Aleah Black exploring the concept of Jester’s Privilege. How can nonsense, surrealism, and mischief be a healing balm? All puppets, masks, and music were created by the artist.

Aleah Black is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. They make memes under the moniker Gendersauce. Their works often explore themes of transformation, foolishness, and what it takes to practice the discipline of hope. Their puppetry is influenced by their mentor Amy Trompetter (an original member of Bread & Puppet theater) and their Italian heritage (Pupi siciliani). Thicket, their full length puppet play, is currently being workshopped and will be performed this coming spring.

“The Spinner” – Foreshadow (Rosalind Lilly and Gaby FeBland)

A haunting retailoring of Greek mythology, “The Spinner” imagines The Fates as factory wardens who’ve outsourced their cruel work to mortal garment workers. With an original score by Jared Engel, this shadow play unstitches the lengths we go to to make our futures our own. 

Foreshadow hurtles through time and space with a manual overhead projector, four hands, and original scores. Created in 2021 by lifelong Brooklynites and theatremakers (and dear middle school friends) Rosalind Lilly and Gaby FeBland, Foreshadow has performed at last year’s Puppet Blok, Jalopy Theatre, The Owl Music Parlor, and Coney Island USA. Find out more at foreshadowpuppetry.com, and follow them at @foreshadow.co. Rosalind Lilly and Gaby FeBland, Creators and Puppeteers

Another Lonely Astronaut – Emma Wiseman

Another Lonely Astronaut is the story of a moon mission told through puppetry and sea shanties.

Emma Wiseman has worked for and with artists such as Dan Hurlin, Robin Frohardt, Jeanette Yew, Nick Lehane, Derek Fourdjour, Alex Da Corte, Sachiyo Takahashi, and Swoon. She and playwright Emily Zemba recently adapted their office supply puppet piece Out Of Office into a short film. Emma’s original project Remember When They Told You This Was A Helicopter? received a Jim Henson Foundation Workshop Grant in 2022 and is currently in development. Emmawiseman.me