Let your imagination run wild Monday as shadow puppets act out “Anansi” during three performances by the Oregon Shadow Theatre across the North Olympic Peninsula.
Anansi is a clever, witty, foolish and greedy little spider who loves to eat but hates to work, organizers said. Watch what happens as Anansi meets a river goblin, fights a chimpanzee and plays a trick on his entire village.
Oregon Shadow Theatre is a Portland, Ore.,-based company specializing in the art of shadow puppetry. Their award-winning shadow plays have toured across the United States and in Canada, including performances at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., and The Northwest Puppet Center in Seattle.
Oregon Shadow Theatre is a collaboration of shadow puppeteer Deb Chase and musician and actor Mick Doherty.
The group’s productions are noted for exquisite, colorful puppets, live music and sound effects, and lively good humor. Among other honors, the group has twice received the Unima Citation for Excellence in the Art of Puppetry.
The first performance will be at 6 p.m. Monday at the Port Angeles library, 2210 S. Peabody St., as part of the library’s annual summer reading program for young people.
Then on Tuesday, performances are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Sequim High School auditorium, 601 N. Sequim Ave., and again at 6 p.m. at the Rainforest Arts Center, located at 35 N. Forks Ave., in Forks.
A Wednesday performance is scheduled for 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Jefferson County Library, located at 620 Cedar Ave., in Port Hadlock.
All ages are welcome to these free performances.
Chase
Chase has been specializing in the magic of shadow puppetry since 1980.
She has created numerous shadow plays for the Oregon Shadow Theatre, and has designed shadow puppets for other puppet companies, including Carter Family Marionettes, Oregon Puppet Theatre, Puppet Soup, A Theatre of Objects, Seattle Puppetory Theatre and Tears Of Joy Theatre.
Chase has taught students, teachers and puppeteers the art of shadow puppetry through workshops and residencies. She worked in Germany with shadow puppeteer Margrit Fuglsang and has toured Japan as a performer.
Doherty
Doherty has worked as an actor and musician with the Oregon Shadow Theatre for more than 20 years, and has composed music for film, theatre and television.
He is featured on a number of recordings by the Trail Band and the Cascadia Folk Quartet.
For more information, visit www.oregonshadowtheatre.com.
