Project: Whooping Crane

http://projectwhoopingcrane.blogspot.com/ Find video and more info here.

Only found in North America, the Whooping Crane population was once reduced to only 16 birds. Tireless experimental conservation efforts have brought the Whooping Crane back from the brink of extinction and have inspired the world. Project: Whooping Crane illuminates this dramatic North American environmental story in a style that is universally accessible, emotionally uplifting and joyously entertaining.

Presented by internationally renowned Green Fools Theatre,
Project: Whooping Crane wordlessly weaves its tale, intertwining art and science in a breathtaking mix of music, mask, and life-size puppetry. Our story follows the lives of two cranes – one taken from the wild and placed in a captive breeding program and the other born in captivity and released into the wild – and the tireless human stewards who dedicate their lives to their survival. An ecological puppet show of about friendship, dedication, struggle, and survival.

To tell the tale we use an original sound design that includes musical compositions and sampled crane sounds.  Our artists worked with biologists and cranes to accurately create and portray the world of the Whooping Crane and their human stewards. We also utilize a variety of puppetry styles including life size, hand, rod, shadow, stilt, bun raku, marionette puppets, and masked characters.

Told without words, the production surpasses borders of countries, race, religion, age, sex and language, making it accessible to a vast range of audiences. The play’s universal themes remind us of our shared humanity beyond cultural divisions.

Project: Whooping Crane is a beautiful story of conservation and love, that illustrates our culpability in the strain on our planet, at the same time celebrating our ability and responsibility to save the world.

Winner of a 2010 STERLING AWARD for Outstanding Artistic Achievement Theatre for Young Audiences, in Edmonton, Alberta.

TITLE: Project: Whooping Crane

GENRE: Theatre, puppetry, mask, music

AUDIENCE: All ages

LENGTH: 55 minutes

LANGUAGE: No words

NUMBER OF ARTISTS:  2, plus 1 to 2 technicians

AVAILIBILITY: Year- round

REQUIREMENTS: Minimum 20 x 20 indoor theatre space with grid, lights and sound system

“…simply a remarkable example of theatrical storytelling… The Green Fools remind us of the magic of theatre. This is one piece I would recommend to everyone I know.”
Jocelyn Grosse, FFWD Weekly

Created by Dean Bareham, Dave Clarke, Jennie Esdale, Eileen Sproule

Promo photos by Sean Dennie

Isis: A Shadow Opera

A song from Isis sung by Simone Saunders, Brent Podesky and Jamie Konchak.

The oldest love story
 ever known found shattered by time and buried in tombs. Told through shadow
 puppetry and song, secrets of Ancient Egypt blast through the past to pierce our hearts.

Each life is a potential hero’s journey: we each are born, called to duty, face ourselves and meet our end. Myth and story are an essential aid, providing context and meaning. Myth unifies, reminding us of our humanity.

In Ancient stories, we see ourselves and themes that transcend divisions of culture, race, religion, class, gender, etc. and strike at the heart of the human experience. They beckon us through the ages and are as relevant in providing meaning and context for a life’s journey today as they were 5000 years ago when they were first recorded.

In Isis & Osiris: A Shadow Opera, the story is a codified selection of scattered remnants of Ancient Egyptian mythology resurrected and dusted off and put into a unified, cohesive, relevant, passionate and beautiful whole told through song/ music and mainly shadow puppetry.

The performers play all of the parts and even swap parts- for instance, a character may be voiced by more than one performer, or more than one performer at once. Harmonies are an essential part of the piece. Much of the puppetry is operated on an overhead projector. Music is played live. Don’t miss this inventive and compelling production!

Nominated for 3 Betty Mitchell Theatre Awards including Best Production of a Musical.

TITLE: Isis: A Shadow Opera

GENRE: Theatre, puppetry, music

AUDIENCE: 12 and up

LENGTH: 75 minutes

LANGUAGE: English

NUMBER OF ARTISTS:  3, plus 1 technician, director

AVAILIBILITY: Year- round

REQUIREMENTS: Indoor theatre space with black out potential

“Brilliant! Bold! Beautiful!” “Better than a real opera!” – Audience members

Created by Jennie Esdale and David Rhymer

Promo photos by Ben Laird and Jennie Esdale