The
instruments, music, and puppets are all either
traditional, or original creations rooted in folk
tradition. Several
historical forms of one-man-band enliven tunes from the
thirteenth century to the present on instruments ranging
from elegant to fanciful to downright silly.
But, as if a one-man-band were not
enough, the instruments become puppets, or are played by
them. Puppets dance and perform to the accompaniment of
music played live, in real time, by the solo performer.
Some of this stuff is for adults, some for children, but
most of it is for everyone. The universal languages of
sound and image invite smiles not only from all
ages, but from anywhere in the world where people like to
smile.
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The
duration of the performance is flexible. Musical
vignettes, sometimes as short as two minutes, stack up to
suit the occasion. It's kind of a patchwork of fun
and folk culture, as are the pants that sometimes apear in
the show. Coming from various places along the
Grego road, each hand-sewn patch is like a page in a
journal. In the top photo you could still see some of the
original denim britches. That was in the early '90's...
This show has been road-tested in a
dozen countries,
illuminated TV screens in six of them, contributed to radio programming in some,
(how many puppet shows can say that?), and animated arts festivals
in many a land. Yet those trousers still seem to
need a fresh patch.
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