BIO:
Established
in 1991 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Green Fools Theatre is a non-profit,
charitable
society that creates, performs, and teaches physical theatre
arts focusing on masks, puppets, and stilts for diverse audiences locally
and internationally.
Artists are the centre of our Fools' society; we are writers, musicians,
painters, sculptors, inventors, singers, actors, acrobats, instructors,
puppeteers, and clowns led by Co-Artistic Directors Dean Bareham
and Jennie Esdale. We are a magnet for physical theatre artists
and offer
multiple training, creating and performing opportunities. We have
also been a building ground for artists and have fostered the
development
of other puppetry troupes and performers, including The Old Trout
Puppet Workshop, the Calgary Animated Objects Society, and several
Cirque
du Soliel performers. In addition we develop strong relationships
with other
sectors, including the Calgary Zoo and International Crane Foundation,
the Glenbow Museum, and the Alberta College of Art & Design to
research, produce or present our work in traditional or non-traditional
theatre
venues.
Our diverse programming, including workshops, puppet and mask shows,
street theatre, spectacle animation, events, and fundraisers allow
artists and audiences to fully explore our art form across a wide spectrum
of
artistic styles and forms.
With an eye on the past and hands on tradition, Green Fools Theatre
also strives to advance our work and our art form by inventing
and engineering
new puppetry styles and ways of storytelling as well as innovative
artistic processes merging content and form to create new world
mythology. We
utilize a variety of physical theatre, puppet and mask techniques
as well as multiple artistic disciplines to tell our original
stories,
producing puppet shows and physical theatre productions that are
literally out
of the box. Styles meet the needs of the story; puppets share the
stage with actors and masked characters. In a single production
we may we
also challenge the boundaries of scale from a finger puppet to
a giant stilt
character. Often, our work explores non- text based storytelling.
In our performances we include music and on occasion dance, performance
art, video, and animation. Our work is contemporary, handcrafted,
original,
and collaboratively created.
Green Fools Theatre reaches thousands of audience members each
year through performances, community events, festivals, and creative
training
by extensive
local touring, as well as some National and International touring.
HISTORY:
1991: Christine Cook and Dean Bareham start the company. Both graduated
from the Dell 'Arte School of Physical Theatre with an ambition
to create
their own work, travel the world and impact their community.
They begin creating roving stilt characters that still perform
today (along
with
many new creations) all over the world at festivals and events.
Determination, creativity and mastery of their skills allowed
Green Fools to become
roving festival favourites.
The Fools indoor (and sometimes outdoor) theatre work has gone
through tremendous evolution. One Yellow Rabbit's High Performance
Rodeo
(and Uncle Michael) was
an important and valuable vehicle for Green Fools’ exploration
of physical theatre. Green Fools collaborate with other physical theatre
companies
and
experiment artistically.
1995: Dean and Christine
are joined by Judd Palmer, Steve Kenderes and David Lane who go on
to become Old Trout Puppet Workshop when they leave the Green Fools
in 1998.
1998: Mooky joins
the Fools to collaborate on the B&E Circus until she’s swept
away by Cirque du Soleil in 2001. Edmonton theatre artist Jennie Esdale
becomes a member of the artistic and management team.
2001: Green Fools
Theatre begin to refine their artistic process and create The Blackbird
Puppet Project, which flew to venues and festivals in Canada, the U.S.
and Brazil.
2003: Jennie Esdale
becomes Co-Artistic Director alongside Dean Bareham. Isabel Lehmann
takes over the books and continues to be our money goddess. We create
Project: Whooping Crane, a life-size puppet show inspired by the endangered
species. The show is a remarkable work and continues to tour.
2004: Co-Founder
Christine Cook resigns from the company to spearhead Calgary Animated
Objects Society and has since been producing Calgary's own Festival
of Animated Objects.
The Fools move to #103–1215 13th Street S.E. in Calgary and go on to
renovate it into an alternative rehearsal and performance venue.
2005: We create and
present the first Canadian production inspired by Vietnamese Water
Puppetry: Dancing On Water. So begins our partnership with Glenbow
Museum!
2006: Judith Mendelsohn
and Stacy Clark join the team as Administrator and Marketing Director
respectively. Look how we've grown! The Fools move again to 2404 Erlton
Road S.W.
We create and present our second spectacle masterpiece in partnership with
Glenbow Museum: Crossing the Mediterranean.
2007: Dean and Stacy
travel to Lesotho, Africa to teach circus camp. We begin development of Rapture
Study in Seven Songs.
2008: Judith Mendelsohn
heads to Paris to study with Lecoq! And Stacy Clark heads to Montreal
to work for Cirque du Soleil! We develop and present Rapture Study
in Seven Songs. Leslie Sawchenko joins the family as Administrator
and
Jamie
Tognazzini
comes
on board
as
Fool
Apprentice! We begin development of Isis & Osiris: A Shadow Opera.
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