By Tesla Rodriquez
Cardinal Staff
The Long Christmas Ride Home, directed by Saint Mary’s University student Sarah St. Laurent, tugged at the heartstrings of audiences on Feb. 26-28 and March 1-2.
Read more...
“There have been people who’ve cried,” said Nick Merkt, one of the pupeteers of the character named Stephen.
In the play, three of the characters were puppets. The three-foot tall puppets that were created for the play are called Bunraku puppets. Each puppet is controlled by two individuals, taking hours of practice and teamwork.
Normally, learning the art of the Bunraku puppets is something that is passed down through a Japanese family.
“People spend their whole lives learning what we crammed in a weekend,” said Jake Clapham, the other puppeteer who plays Stephen.
Although puppets would normally be left out of a play that is directed toward adults, these puppets brought the audience to a whole new level, introducing mature issues with comic figures.
The Long Christmas Ride Home deals with real-life adult issues that almost anyone can empathize with, from a husband who cheats on his wife and a mother who is jealous of her husband’s mistress to a boy with feminine desires.
“The audience is definitely taken on a rollercoaster ride,” said Merkt.
No comments:
Post a Comment