Jan 23 | 6:30 pm
The Point: Pulling at the Strings
Mask work and puppetry have long been used as instruments for storytelling, both theatrically and therapeutically. The inanimate objects are vessels to be endowed with power, stemming from imagination, creativity, and memory. What drives us to utilize puppets and masks to tell stories of our origins, of our struggles, of our hardships? How do these objects give us permission to interact in unexpected ways and explore topics that might be considered taboo? How does interacting with a puppet or a mask change the performer? Or the audience? We’ve been leaning on these objects since prehistoric times to tell our stories and reenact our rituals. How do we use puppets and masks today?
Join Ronee Penoi and Professor Felice Amato, Dr. Jason Butler, and director Veronica Barron to explore the history and contemporary use of puppets and masks in ritual, performance, and therapies and learn how these vehicles unlock difficult topics.
About The Point
At ArtsEmerson, the art is the provocation; conversation is the point. The Point is a conversation series that invites audiences to explore big questions in intimate settings. Hosted by a member of the ArtsEmerson team, local and national luminaries will offer their points of view on the urgent questions surfaced by the artists on our stages.
Info
Venue
Robert J. Orchard Stage, Emerson Paramount Center
559 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111
Dates
Jan 23, 2025 | 6:30 pm
Special Events
Post Show Reception where light refreshments will be served.
Details
FREE w/ RSVP
Ages 18+
Access
Audio Described
Thu, Jan 23 6:30 pm
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Artists
Felice Amato
Felice Amato is an artist, scholar, and educator. Her interests lie in the field of material performance; she works at the intersection of education, visual arts, theater, and performance, with a special focus on applied puppetry, masks, and arts research. Much of her research and creative work explores the phenomenological and material nature of puppetry and masks, as well as their accessibility and therapeutic value, and the interdisciplinary and interactive research opportunities they offer. Dr. Amato created and chaired a yearlong global research conference entitled, “Women and Masks: A Transdisciplinary Research Conference.” Amato serves on the board of UNIMA–USA, the American chapter of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette, a UNESCO-affiliated organization, where she chairs the Academic Committee. She is a founding editorial board member of a2ru’s (The Alliance of the Arts in Research Universities) new online journal: Tradition Innovation in the Arts, Design, and Media Higher Education. Dr. Amato also serves on the leadership committee of DARTS, the Division of the Visual and Performing Arts Education of the CEC (Council for Exceptional Children).
Veronica Barron
As Executive Artistic Director of Puppet Showplace Theatre, Veronica Barron is responsible for Puppet Showplace’s artistic and organizational vision, and supporting our team of staff, artists, and supporters in delivering meaningful community impact through excellence in puppetry. Her work is wide-ranging: she tours internationally as a puppeteer on Kid Koala’s live cinema graphic novel Nufonia Must Fall; coaches executives on authentic storytelling as a consultant with The Ariel Group; and facilitates raucous/joyous street spectacles with the School of HONK! community brass band. A puppeteer, performer, and director, Veronica has earned praise as “magnificent” (WGBH) and “the cast’s best voice” (The New York Times).
Jason Butler
is a Registered Drama Therapist, Board Certified Trainer, and New York State Licensed Creative Arts Therapist. Jason is a former President of the North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) and previously served on the NADTA Board of Directors as President-Elect and Communications Chair. He is the editor-in-chief for The Arts in Psychotherapy and the former training director for DvT Montreal, a satellite of the Institute for Developmental Transformations.
Jason is an internationally known drama therapist, having presented on drama therapy in many countries, including the Czech Republic, China, Hong Kong, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University and at New York University and was one of the first recipients of the NADTA Teaching Excellence Award in 2012.
