Paper Theatre After Dark

UW-Green Bay’s Art Agency had the exciting opportunity to host Minneapolis-based artist Michael Sommers for a three-day workshop and performance March 27–29, 2014. Mr. Sommers has created a niche following in the Twin Cities, mesmerizing and delighting audiences with a cross-roads of puppetry, shadow theater, hand-crafted animation, performance art and Vaudeville-esque monomyth storytelling. The Art Agency was delighted to bring some of that magic and marvel to Green Bay area art lovers.

Mr. Sommers led students in workshops on March 27th and 28th to expand their current thinking and making of two-dimensional images using concepts of space, time, and play to animate through the gesture of human touch. The workshops culminated on Saturday, March 29 with a public exhibition and performance of the students’ work at Kavarna in downtown Green Bay.

Beyond facilitating the event for the students, I was able to make my own shadow theatre. For your viewing pleasure: “The Alchemist’s Indigestion.”

The weekend was the highlight of my tenure at UWGB. I hope to continue doing more of this type of theatre and art. I also want to thank my friend Joel Ryan for doing music for the night, and Chris Rand for taking photos and video. Thank you to everyone, especially Alex Galt at Kavarna, that was able to make it and support the event.