DRAMA OF WORKS
D O W ' S R E P E R T O R Y:
RETIRED SHOWS
Below you will find shows no longer in rotation in Drama of Works's repertory. We are more than willing to discuss bringing one of these pieces out of retiremement, please email us to discuss this.
For information on our current touring, kids and larger "sit-down" shows, please use the pull-down menu above under "SHOWS".
WARRIOR
by Crystal Skillman
Directed by Gretchen Van Lente
Original music composed by Julia Balestracci
Puppets by Serra Hirsch, Gretchen Van Lente and the ensemble
Starring: Spencer Lafrenz, Serra Hirsch, Julia Balestracci, Scott Weber, Wendy Graham, Tara Conlon, Lisa Schanen
(also performed by Talaura Harms, Nancy Nagrant, Matt Jackson, Jennifer Bruno)
Three short pieces based on Japanese myths told in three very different styles. "The Sword of Yamato" is a funny, bloody shadow show about a ruthless warrior, "On the Backs of Fishes" is a doll/fabric show about one of the most awesome female warriors in the history of Japan, "The Book of Ojin" is a told with mask and is the tale of her son!
“Gretchen Van Lente, Director of Drama of Works, assembled a stellar cast of puppeteers and actors in the highly comical and well-timed shadow puppet work. The story is superbly written by Crystal Skillman. The audience strongly responded to the dramatic story and the humor of the work. The piece definitely left images lingering in my mind. I can still hear the puppets chanting 'Yamato, Yamato...'”
— Michelle Moskowitz, BRIC producer, Brooklyn
appropriate for ages 10 and up
premiered: May 2004 at the Prague World Festival of Puppet Art
(also performed at Estrogenius Festival, Istanbul Puppet Festival, Cooking Fire Festival-Toronto)
TITUS!
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Gretchen Van Lente
Puppets by Gretchen Van Lente
(with Nina Kyle, Serra Hirsch, Tara Conlon and Lisa Schanen)
Music by the Natural History
Sound design: Jill DuBoff
Lighting design: Alison Brummer
Starring: Jessica Scott, Molly Kohl, Postell Pringle, Joel Israel,
Jerry Ruiz, Mary Robinette Kowal, Chime Day Serra, Janio Marrera
(also performed by James Walton, Meghan Williams, Tatiana Pavela)
A unique interpretation of the bloody Shakespearean tragedy. Tagline: "Because puppets can die." The characters who die are cast as puppets, the characters that live (there aren't many) are cast as actors.
The puppets' wounds are written on them from the start, in a kind of mod 60s design. Complete with rock music, this is Shakespeare as you've never seen it before!
“Drama of Works is on to something with TITUS!…Van Lente’s choices beautifully show Titus’ fall from victorious hero to cog in a machine of bloody destruction and madness.” —American Theater Web
appropriate for ages 16 and up
premiered: August 2003 at HERE Arts Center
Doctor Faustus
by Christopher Marlowe
Directed by Gretchen Van Lente
Original music composed by Joshua Goodman
Puppets by David Michael Friend
Starring: David Michael Friend, Peter Yagecic, Molly Kohl, John Ardolino,
Eve Tuck and Joshua Goodman
A Henson award-winning version of Marlowe's classic text, told on a state-of-the-art puppet theater table top. Good versus evil, the seven deadly sins, original songs and much much more...
“Heavy on fantastic production design—Drama of Works provides a hell of a show indeed.” —Village Voice
appropriate for ages 14 and up
premiered: August 2000 at the NY International Fringe Festival
DoubtingDorothy
by Gretchen Van Lente
Directed and designed by Gretchen Van Lente
Starring: Molly Kohl, Eve Tuck, Bryan Brown, Joshua Goodman,
David Michael Friend, Julia Balestracci, Amy Carrigan
A piece created at Eugene Lang College, where many of the company met. Based on the Wizard of Oz, but re-interpreted through the lens of white suburban middle America. Told as a kind of master class in puppet styles, this collage of text and imagery is a wonder to behold!
“I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore when Dorothy introduced herself as ‘boring.’…Whatever it is supposed to be, it isn’t ‘boring.’…I look forward to seeing more of [Gretchen’s] work in the future.” —PuppetMaster
appropriate for ages 8 and up
premiered: May 1999 at Eugene Lang College
