Be Here Now: Bread & Puppet Theater Returns to Time + Space Limited Tonight-Sunday

Yeah, I know it feels like the middle of summer out there today, but it’s still only the first week of spring. And one of the most wonderful harbingers of springtime on the Nippertown arts scene is the yearly visit by the always marvelous Bread & Puppet Theater to Time + Space Limited in Hudson.

For the 14th consecutive year, the politically minded, intentionally rag-tag Glover, Vermont-based theater troupe brings its annual spring tour to T+SL for a four-day stand beginning tonight (March 22) at 8pm.

This year’s production is a new performance, “4 Puppet Shows from the Republic of Cardboard.” Aimed at an audience for high-school age and up (sorry, kids), the collection of four shows was created, designed and directed by the Cardboard King himself, B&P director Peter Schumann with input from the company.

With a five-woman cast, B&P will perform:
“Naked Cop”
“Dire Circumstance Jubilation in Broad Daylight”
“Demand Rises as Unrest Continues”
“Commodity-Future-Trading-Commission Comedy”

Bread & Puppet shows use music, dance and slapstick to get their often politically radical points across. Their distinctive imagery — featuring puppets (of all kinds and sizes), masks, costumes and paintings – is intricately wound around Schumann’s distinctive visual style, which incorporates expressionism, dark humor and low-culture simplicity.

“4 Puppet Shows from the Republic of Cardboard” will be performed at Time + Space Limited in Hudson at 8pm tonight (Thursday), Friday and Saturday, as well as at 2pm on Sunday. Tix are $12.50; students $7.50. NOTE: Prior to the Sunday show there will also be a special lunch with B&P beginning at 12:30pm. Tix for the Sunday lunch (which includes tix to the performance) are $25; students $15.

REVIEWS OF PREVIOUS BREAD & PUPPET THEATER PRODUCTIONS @ TIME + SPACE LIMITED:
“The Decapitalization Cabaret,” 3/10/11
“The Dirt Cheap Money Cabaret,” 4/8/10