KAYFABE by JOSH RICE
A puppet wrestling entertainment spectacular!
Table-top puppetry meets pro wrestling meets a rock show; high art meets low art meets Samuel Beckett! Kayfabe, a 60-minute frenetic frenzy of puppet wrestling action, is a semi-autobiographical meta-fictional love letter to professional wrestling written, directed and designed by aspiring wrestler and inspired puppet artist, Josh Rice.
Kayfabe explores how the ritual of performance bleeds into reality and how reality bleeds into performance. Philosopher Roland Barthes wrote, “the function of the wrestler is not to win; it is to go through the motions that are expected of him.” What is expected of a puppet when the “gimmick” or persona of Dr. Kiss, and the tropes and trappings of the professional wrestling world are thrust upon him, as he barrels toward destiny as the main event of PuppetMania?? Expect the unexpected when form meets function, when reality and fantasy collide, when the lines between real and fake blur—this is Kayfabe.
A work-in-progress showing will take place at the Playhouse as the inaugural event of our *NEW* Barnstormer Series.
*This project is the recipient of a 2024 Jim Henson Foundation Production Grant and a New York State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Grant.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
The Puppeteers
GALLERY
ABOUT THE *NEW* BARNSTORMER SERIES
Barnstormer is a series of small events, in the Lucille Lortel White Barn, located adjacent to the Playhouse. From cabarets to playreadings, Barnstormer provides an opportunity for artists, many of whom are from our local community, to exercise their creative muscle in a cozy and intimate setting.
Learn about more about Barnstormer events HERE!
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