News
Still enjoying what they do after all these years
December 16, 2010
On this stage, nothing is lost in the translation
“Our music is the ‘ooohs and ahhhs’ and laughter and comments.” –Floriana Frassetto
HEIDI PATALANO
METRO
December 16, 2010
It’s hard to describe a performance of the live puppetry theater
group Mummenschanz and truly capture the oddball physicality and playful
creativity of the everyday objects and abstract shapes they animate.
Given that there are no words or music, it’s only physical expression
that makes these creatures come alive. But that’s also what makes the
performances so universally entertaining.
Swiss-American artist
Floriana Frassetto is a founding member of the theater group, which has
been touring the world for almost four decades.
“Our music is the
‘ooohs and ahhhs’ and laughter and comments,” she explains. “There are
different rhythms to the different audiences throughout the world — who
of course are reflecting their culture. Americans, they are very quick
at bringing out their playfulness and finding that playful child within
them. Germans might be a little bit slower and Iranians will be quieter —
it will be a little more intense.”
One thing that can be
universal, however, is the reaction children have at the end of each
performance when Frassetto and cohort Bernie Schurch reveal themselves.
“We’re
still very agile,” Frassetto says with a smile in her voice. “It’s
interesting when we take off our hoods at the end of the show and the
kids see that we have white hair, they look like, ‘Oh my god! She looks
like my grandmother! He looks like my grandfather! And they’re still
rolling around and jumping around like kids!’ It’s our life, so we enjoy
doing it.”
