PUTNEY-Sandglass Theater launches its New Visions Summer Series with a visually stunning performance by puppeteer Tom Tuke.
The City That Slept will be performed Friday and Saturday, June 5 and 6, at 7 p.m. at Sandglass Theater, 17 Kimball Hill.
Combining shadow puppetry, lantern puppets, and large-scale marionettes, the piece transforms dreams collected from New York City residents into a poetic visual landscape. Interviews recorded in Union Square and atmospheric soundscapes from the city create an immersive theatrical environment where dreams drift through skyscrapers and avenues as the city slowly falls asleep.
The production also features an original technique developed by Tuke — floating shadow puppets that glide across a pool of moving water, creating mesmerizing images of motion and light.
Originally from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Tuke discovered puppetry while working as a classroom teacher before relocating to the United States to study in the Puppet Arts Program at the University of Connecticut. Since arriving in the U.S., he has performed with Bread and Puppet Theater and collaborated with traditional puppeteers from Kerala, India. The City That Slept was developed as his capstone project and is now touring venues throughout the Northeast.
As part of the visit, Tuke will offer a hands-on workshop exploring the water-shadow puppetry technique used in the show on Saturday, June 6, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants will create their own floating shadow puppets and experiment with how the puppets move across swirling water projections. The workshop is open to adults and teenagers, with a maximum capacity of 12 participants.
Sandglass’s New Visions Summer Series celebrates interdisciplinary performance and new theatrical creation by artists working at the crossroads of puppetry, music, storytelling, and physical theater.
All tickets for The City That Slept are $20, with no one turned away for lack of funds. For tickets and more information, visit sandglasstheater.org.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.