Admittedly I do enjoy puppet shows and there are some terrific companies playing with the form and creating visually stimulating entertainments these days. I’m off to see Don Giovanni at Praque’s National Marionette Theatre later this month. I can add Doppelskope to the list of troupes to keep on my radar. Every weekend in October they are presenting The Amazing Story Machine at The Tank, a prolific incubator for artists in New York City. Joy is the feeling these artists bring to the stage.
While waiting in the lobby before the show, two young girls approached each other to say hello. “I’m five and a half, how old are you?” Her response: “I’m only five.” They are the perfect age for this piece of theatrical wonderment but it is safe to say the adults in the room seemed equally engaged. On the stage is a handcrafted story machine made from simple objects. The four member cast with the last name Grimm tells children’s stories with a twist or two.
Doppelskope believes that audience participation empowers people to be active participants in the world. The children in the audience were on board. When a (planned) malfunction happens, Fritz Grimm (Christopher Scheer) apologizes, stating “this is not the show.” A young boy yelled out, “YES IT IS!” A momentary pause. He then turns his head with a mischievous grin and says, “NO IT’S NOT!” The adults roared with laughter and the kids jumped right back in: “YES IT IS!” For a company who believes “in the intelligence of children and the whimsy of adults,” the moment was perfect.
Wrapped up in all of this inspired fun is great messaging. We are all storytellers. We can all make sets and props. We can all entertain and be creative. We can all be active participants. Doppelskope hopes we can all see everyday objects in a new light, full of potential for play. I can only say that I’ve never, ever enjoyed Hansel and Gretel this much before.
After a hideously disconcerting week of the Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination debacle and the horrifically disgraceful examples of the truly morally bereft adults that lead our country, I’d like to personally thank this exciting group of performers for reminding me that there is good in the world. You just have to tell the story. And also show up to see it. People who need people and children and theater are indeed the luckiest people in the world.