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| Photo: Michel Anderson |
Ishi’s
Brain is a show by Lisa Krause and Eamon Espey that incorporates
shadow puppets, a marionette, masks and a liberal use of painted cardboard.
It is based on a chapter in Eamon Espey’s new graphic novel, Songs of the Abyss published
by Secret Acres. The initial inspiration comes from the true story, but is by no means a historical re-enactment. Krause and Espey’s performance focuses on a lone spirit in his final days and an alien shaman who helps guide the dead into the next world. Original soundtrack by Stephen Santillian of Baltimore bands Ghost Life and Thank You.
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| Photo: Michel Anderson |
Eamon Espey is a
cartoonist based in Baltimore whose books include Wormdye (2008) and Songs of the Abyss (2012). Both were published by Secret Acres. His work has appeared in art shows in
such places as Los Angeles, Istanbul, and New York and in print in Sweden’s Galago
Magazine and Washington DC’s Bash
Magazine.
Songs of the Abyss further examines and diagrams all things spiritual and grotesque. Ancient Egyptian gods birth Biblical giants, Santa Claus is an agent of the Devil and a scientist performs sadistic experiments in search of enlightenment. All is rendered in black ink with scalpel like precision. The cover remains true to the hand crafted aesthetic in that it is a stained glass design handmade by the author specifically for the book.
Songs of the Abyss further examines and diagrams all things spiritual and grotesque. Ancient Egyptian gods birth Biblical giants, Santa Claus is an agent of the Devil and a scientist performs sadistic experiments in search of enlightenment. All is rendered in black ink with scalpel like precision. The cover remains true to the hand crafted aesthetic in that it is a stained glass design handmade by the author specifically for the book.
Link to Songs of the Abyss reviewed on IndieReader
Lisa Krause is a trained sculptor and has been an Associate Artist with Black Cherry Puppet Theater since 2009. She has studied traditional marionette carving in the Czech Republic and recently just spent a month living and performing with the anarchist theater group, Bread and Puppet. Krause facilitates puppetry workshops and has performed with Black Cherry at schools, recreation centers and community festivals across Maryland, Virginia and at the National Theater in Washington D.C. She has also performed in the streets of Prague and the beautiful hillsides of Vermont.
Lisa Krause is a trained sculptor and has been an Associate Artist with Black Cherry Puppet Theater since 2009. She has studied traditional marionette carving in the Czech Republic and recently just spent a month living and performing with the anarchist theater group, Bread and Puppet. Krause facilitates puppetry workshops and has performed with Black Cherry at schools, recreation centers and community festivals across Maryland, Virginia and at the National Theater in Washington D.C. She has also performed in the streets of Prague and the beautiful hillsides of Vermont.
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| Photo: Michel Anderson |
SONGS OF THE ABYSS Book Release
and Ishi's Brain Performance Dates (Spring 2013):
and Ishi's Brain Performance Dates (Spring 2013):
There was a national tour in April 2013- May 2013 which included 15 bookings and appearances at Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo in Columbus, OH and Stumptown Comic Festival in Portland, OR.
Future Book Relase/Performance Dates TBA
... Check back for more info!
* * * * * * * * * * *
Baltimore MD
Saturday November 3rd, 2012 * 9p
Windup Space- 12 W North Ave
Saturday January 19th, 2013 *
Worlds Collide! Puppet Slamwich!
Black Cherry Puppet Theater -1115 Hollins St
Brooklyn NY
Friday November 11th, 2012
Tomato House- 301 Saratoga Ave
Joint book release with Dongery's Just Sayin' retrospective (Norway)
As part of Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival
Washington DC
Thursday February 7th, 2013 * 7:30PM
La Casa Community Center -3166 Mt. Pleasant St. NW
w/A Police State Cabaret (mbrs of Bread and Puppet/Flying Donkey)
Presented by Puppet Underground
Pittsburgh PA
Friday April 12, 2013 * 8PM
Puppet Happening to be held at ModernFormations -4919 Penn Ave w/Pittsburgh artists Tom Sarver & Mike Cuccaro doing excerpts from "Aristophanes' Peace"
- write up in Pittsburgh City Paper
Columbus OH
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday April 13-15, 2013
SPACE (Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo)
Book table w/J.T. Dockery and Mark Rudolph!
Performance * 8pm Sat Apr 13 at S.P.A.C.E. Cartoonist Polymaths After Party Pageant w/The Smacks! (J.T. Dockery & Brian Manley) Leela Corman and Maddie Fix
-Kafe Kerouac (2250 N High St.)
Workshops on Monday night at Short Stop Youth Center and Ohio Shorts Film Festival at Ohio State University: Shadow Puppets, Block Printing Patches (Non-Silkscreen Method)
Book table w/J.T. Dockery and Mark Rudolph!
Performance * 8pm Sat Apr 13 at S.P.A.C.E. Cartoonist Polymaths After Party Pageant w/The Smacks! (J.T. Dockery & Brian Manley) Leela Corman and Maddie Fix
-Kafe Kerouac (2250 N High St.)
Workshops on Monday night at Short Stop Youth Center and Ohio Shorts Film Festival at Ohio State University: Shadow Puppets, Block Printing Patches (Non-Silkscreen Method)
- Matt Kish's S.P.A.C.E. Recap, including our show: EveryPageOfMobyDick
Detroit MI
Tuesday April 16, 2013 * 8PM
Trumbullplex -4201 Trumbull St.
w/shadow puppets by Patrick Eakins (MI) and Jerry Fels and the Jerry Fels
Chicago IL
Minneapolis MN
Saturday April 20, 2013 * 4PM
Moon Palace Books 2820 E 33rd St
w/Local Theater group Lost Dog Productions presenting a short play entitled "The Musical Stylings of Sigmund und Amalia Freud: Mother und Son"
Ishi's Brain performance Saturday April 27th, 2013 9:30PM
Missoula MT
Tuesday April 23, 2013 * 7:30PM
Zootown Arts Community Center 235 North 1st St. West
- Write up in Missoula Independant
- interview in The Montana Kaimin
presented by Short Run
w/Tess Martin, Tim Miller, and Erin Tanner - Write up in Seattle Stranger
- Write up in City Arts Magazine
Portland OR
Saturday and Sunday April 27th-28th, 2013
Stumptown Comics Festival Oregon Convention Center- 777 NE Martin Luther King Blvd
Gridlords 12 monthly comics performance/reading series presents:
at Hollywood Theater 4122 NE Sandy Blvd
w/Birch Cooper and Brenna Murphy (MSHR), Chelsea Kamm (Many Fur Puppet Troupe), Erin Tanner, Wally C and Alex Chiu (MARSUPLALA), and a Gridlords Animations Reel!
- Our Performance at Gridlords 12 reviewed on Comics Grinder
- and reviewed by Daria Tessler on Animal Sleep Stories
- and recommended by Scott Harrison
San Francisco CA
Thursday May 2nd, 2013 * 8pm
Alter Space 1158 Howard Street (SOMA District)
w/ Tim Giugni of Il Teatro Calamari, Liz Mayorga, and Charlatan Stories
w/ Tim Giugni of Il Teatro Calamari, Liz Mayorga, and Charlatan Stories
Los Angeles CA
Saturday May 4th, 2013
The Velaslavasay Panorama 1122 W 24th St. 90007
Brown Paper Ticket link
PERFORMANCE * Saturday 5/4 8pm with Christian Cummings
WORKSHOP * Sunday 5/5 1pm: Shadow Puppet Workshop
at Avenue 50 Studio 131 N Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA 90042.
PERFORMANCE * Saturday 5/4 8pm with Christian Cummings
at Avenue 50 Studio 131 N Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA 90042.
Santa Fe NM
Saturday May 11th, 2013
WORKSHOP 2p: Shadow Puppet Workshop
at Wise Fool New Mexico -2778 Agua Fria Rd, Ste D
PERFORMANCE 7p: with Flying Wall and Human Beast Box
at Santa Fe Arts Center 314 S. Guadalupe -Santa Fe NM 87501
St Louis MO
Wednesday May 15th, 2013 * 7pm
Lexington KY
Thursday May 16th, 2013 * 7pm
Institute 193 193 N Limestone
w/ The Smacks
Chicago IL
Saturday May 18th, 2013 * 9pm
at BRAINFRAME performative comix reading series
The Orphanage - 643 W 31st St, Chicago IL 2nd Floor
