Synopsis
The British call him Punch, the Italians, Pulchinello, the Russians, Petruchka, the Native Americans, Coyote. These are the figures we may know. But every culture that worships authority will breed a Punch-like, anti-authoritan resister. Yin and yang -- it has to happen. The Germans call him Kasper. Truth-telling and serious pranking are dangerous professions when going up against power. Bradley Manning sits naked in solitary; JulianAssange is pursued by Interpol, Obama's Department of Justice, and Amazon.com. But -- in contrast to merely human faces -- masks and theater can often slip through the bars. Consider our American Kaspers: Charlie Chaplin, Woody Guthrie, Abby Hoffman, the Yes Men-- theater people all, utilizing various forms to seed critique. Their profiles and tactics have evolved along with those of their enemies. Who are the bad guys that call forth the Kaspers? Over the last half century, with his Bread & Puppet Theater, Peter Schumann has been tireless in naming them, excoriating them with Kasperdom....from Marc Estrin’s Forward to Planet Kasper
About the Author
Peter Schumann was born in 1934 in Silesia. He studied and practiced sculpture and dance in Germany, moved to the United States in 1961, and founded the Bread & Puppet Theater in New York City in 1963. From hand- and rod-puppet shows in the streets to giant puppet parades, Schumann addressed local injustices as well as the Vietnam war. In 1970, Schumann and the company moved to Vermont. There he continues to build puppets, create shows and giant outdoor spectacles, perform locally and internationally, and to bake bread, grow garlic, and split firewood. Peter Schumann is married to Elka Leigh Scott, and they live in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. They have five children and five grandchildren.
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