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“Les adultes semblent plus captivés que les enfants! Un grand bravo au couple américano-finlandais auteur de la prouesse.” Le journal, Chalon dans la rue

“I went back to see it again. Powerful. The masks seemed to look right through me. Funny, expressive and very beautiful." audience member - Herrenhausen-Baroque Gardens - Hannover, Germany

“... the simple and gentle beauty of Baggies was confirmation of the quality of the company.” Jonathan Holloway, Festival Director - National Theater - London, England

AUTHOR / DIRECTOR: Joe & Minna Dieffenbacher

STYLE: mask / puppet

LANGUAGE: silent

MINIMUM PLAY AREA: 4m x 4m 5m height

DURATION OF SHOW: 20 mins.

SET-UP/STRIKE TIME: 10/10 mins.

AUDIENCE: family

VENUE: street / theatre / varieté / event

baggies

Deep down in folds of fabric something stirs & suddenly they appear - two mysterious and curious characters who engage the audience with their goofy vulnerability & mischievous play. Part mask performance, part puppet show, baggies combines beautiful masks with ingenious use of movement & costume to create a comic and poetic performance.

Background: Baggies was inspired by a set of abstract masks we made for the University of Charlottesville, VA. The technique of turning a mask into a puppet was borrowed from a similar method used in Balinese theatre. We worked with various fabrics to find the one that was most expressive in combination with the masks. In the early stages the show was a dance/movement piece but we wanted to incorporate a simple story that would help to express the relationship between the two characters. There are elements of a classic clown duo in Baggies which adds a playful humour that works well with both children and adults. We wanted to create a gentle show, a contrast to the more aggressive skill acts that are often seen at outdoor festivals. Thus we were very nervous at our premier, afraid people might not watch something so unassuming. But from Korea to France, England to Germany the show has been an audience-pleaser with many people appreciating it's poeticism and the expressive beauty of the masks.

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