| HEATHER HENSON & TY DEFOE'S AJIJAAK ON TURTLE ISLAND, a Contemporary Native American Story | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 05:59 pm EST 01/28/19 | |
|
|
|
| The New 42nd Street Presents at The New Victory Theater Ajijaak on Turtle Island Contemporary Native American Story by IBEX Puppetry Co-directed by Heather Henson and Ty Defoe Featuring Puppets from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™ Opens March 1 Visionary puppet artist Heather Henson and Grammy-Award winner Ty Defoe (Come to Me Great Mystery) bring together an ensemble of North American First Nations Peoples in this compelling production produced by IBEX Puppetry, written by Defoe (Straight White Men) with music by Kevin Tarrant (SilverCloud Singers), Grammy-nominated Dawn Avery, Grammy winner Larry Mitchell (Totemic Flute Chants) and Defoe. Ajijaak on Turtle Island, currently on tour throughout the U.S., performs at The New Victory from March 1 - 10, 2019. Based on original storyboards by Henson, the daughter of legendary puppeteer Jim Henson, Ajijaak on Turtle Island shares the story of young Ajijaak, a whooping crane who must face her first migration cycle on Turtle Island (North America) after being separated from her family. Along the way, she encounters deer, buffalo, a coyote and turtles, as well as communities of people from Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk, Lakota and Cherokee Nations, living in balance with their environments. When they share their prayers, songs and dances that celebrate life on earth, Ajijaak finds the meaning and strength of her own song. “We are thrilled to bring Ajijaak on Turtle Island to The New Victory to share this evocative journey with the next generation of storytellers and change-makers,” says Heather Henson. “I am grateful to be able to bring together my passion for visualizing environmental issues with Ty’s incredible storytelling, and look forward to celebrating the talented artists who bring this show to life.” Puppets from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, indigenous songs and dances, and video projections create a transformative experience that honors contemporary Native American cultures and celebrates the harmonious relationships between humans, animals and the environment. “Native nations assist us in reflecting on how we are taking care of and taking action for the environment. Ajijaak on Turtle Island is a metaphor for how we can be better stewards of our Mother Earth and one another,” says Ty Defoe. “I was inspired by my lived experience and journeys across Turtle Island—with continual visits to landscapes, cousin nations, and communities, and in speaking with elders and youth—to learn how ecological knowledge and sacred wisdom from indigenous people can be shared.” Ajijaak on Turtle Island is written by interdisciplinary artist Ty Defoe of the Oneida and Ojibwe Nations of Wisconsin, with lyrics by Defoe and Grammy and NAMA-nominated Dawn Avery of Mohawk descent. Music is by Avery & Grammy Award winner Larry Mitchell (Totemic Flute Chants), Kevin Tarrant of The SilverCloud Singers and of the HoChunk Nation of Wisconsin and Hopi Tribe of Arizona, and Defoe. The production also features designs from Christopher Swader and Justin Swader (Scenic), Katherine Freer (Projections), Marika Kent (Lighting), Emma Wilk (Sound), Lux Haac (Costumes), and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™ (Puppet Design & Fabrication). The cast includes Tony Enos (Echota Cherokee), Joan Henry (Tsalagi, Nde’, and Arawaka), Wren Jeng, Adelka Polak, Sheldon Raymore (Cheyenne River Sioux), and Henu Josephine Tarrant (Ho-Chunk, Rappahannock, Hopi and Kuna). Ajijaak on Turtle Island is the result of many years of collaboration between Henson and Defoe exploring the resiliency of both endangered whooping cranes and the indigenous communities that, like the cranes, have lived in harmony with this continent for thousands of years. As a trustee for the International Crane Foundation based in Baraboo, Wisconsin, Henson is inspired by the Foundation’s mission to conserve cranes and their landscapes. Defoe’s work in communities across North America explores the parallels between environment and identity using art to inspire others for cultural and social change. The world premiere presentation of Ajijaak on Turtle Island was in February 2018 at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City. Public Performance Schedule: Friday, March 1 at 7pm Saturday, March 2 at 2pm / 7pm* Sunday, March 3 at 12pm / 5pm Friday, March 8 at 7pm** Saturday, March 9 at 2pm / 7pm Sunday, March 10 at 12pm / 5pm *Autism-friendly performance **sign-interpreted performance Ajijaak on Turtle Island has a running time of 60 minutes with no intermission, and is recommended for ages 7 and up. Ticket Information Full-price tickets for Ajijaak on Turtle Island start at $17. Tickets are available online (http://www.newvictory.org) and by phone (646.223.3010). To purchase tickets in person, the New Victory box office is located at 209 West 42nd Street (between 7th / 8th Avenues). Box office hours are Sunday & Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm. About IBEX Puppetry IBEX Puppetry is an entertainment company, founded by Heather Henson, devoted to health and healing for the planet through artistic spectacle, outreach, and devotion to the fine art of puppetry in all of its mediums. Founded in 2000 and receiving multiple UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionette) awards since its inception, IBEX Puppetry supports puppet art in the mediums of film, stage, gallery exhibits, workshops, and artist presentations. IBEX Puppetry produces Heather Henson's own Environmental Spectacles and Sing-Along events. IBEX also nurtures the creation and continuance of contemporary puppetry works by independent artists through the Handmade Puppet Dreams film series, The Puppet Slam Network and IBEX Presents. About The New Victory Theater The New Victory Theater brings kids to the arts and the arts to kids. Created in 1995 on iconic 42nd Street, this nonprofit theater has become a standard-bearer of quality performing arts for young audiences in the United States. Reflecting and serving the multicultural city it calls home, The New Victory is committed to arts access for all students, teachers, kids, families and communities of New York to experience and engage with the exemplary international programming of theater, dance, circus, music, puppetry and opera on its stages. A leader in arts education, youth employment and audience engagement, The New Victory Theater has been honored by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, by Americans for the Arts with a national Arts Education Award, and by the Drama Desk for "providing enchanting, sophisticated children's theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people." About The New 42nd Street Founded in 1990, The New 42nd Street is an independent nonprofit organization charged with the continuous cultural revival of 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, building on the foundation of seven historic theaters to make extraordinary performing arts and cultural engagement part of everyone’s life. The New 42nd Street fulfills this purpose by ensuring the ongoing vibrancy of 42nd Street’s historic theaters; supporting performing artists in the creation of their work at the New 42nd Street Studios and The Duke on 42nd Street; creating arts access and education at The New Victory Theater, New York’s premier theater for kids and families; and through the New 42nd Street Youth Corps, its model youth development initiative, which pairs life skills workshops and mentorship with paid employment in the arts for NYC youth. Inspired by the city it serves, The New 42nd Street is committed to the transformational power of the arts. |
|
| reply | |
|
|
|
| Previous: | re: “RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S OKLAHOMA!” JOINS GUN NEUTRAL INITIATIVE - Chromolume 12:03 am EST 01/29/19 |
| Next: | PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE TCG GALA HONORING TONY KUSHNER, RICK MIRAMONTEZ, AND MARTHA R. INGRAM - Official_Press_Release 05:56 pm EST 01/28/19 |
| Thread: | |
Time to render: 0.006935 seconds.