Recorded on: January 3, 2023
Run Time: 1hr 15min

Collaborators Evolve Puppets (Tanya Khordoc & Barry Weil) and James Ortiz discuss puppets, puppet design, play devising, directing and rehearsal structure. They’re going to talk about it all. Join us!

Bios:
James Ortiz is a cross-disciplinary designer, deviser, and director whose recent creation of Milky White at Into the Woods on Broadway as well as the Dino designs for Lincoln Center’s Tony nominated production of The Skin of Our Teeth have both become fan favorites. Most recently: As You Like It for the Public Theater. Soon: Disney’s Hercules, Kiss my Aztec at Hartford Stage. Previous credits include: The Public Theater, Carnegie Melon University, Dallas Theatre Center, Shakespeare Theatre of DC, Opera Saratoga, Ars Nova, and New World Stages. 2016 OBIE winner for puppetry design for his off-Broadway creation, The Woodsman. American Theatre magazine of “Six Theatre Workers you Should Know” in 2020. 2022 Drama Desk winner for Skin of our Teeth. Jamesortiz.co

EVOLVE PUPPETS (TANYA KHORDOC & BARRY WEIL) have been creating innovative puppet theatre in NYC for more than two decades. Recently, they created puppets for Bated Breath Theatre Company’s CHASING ANDY WARHOL, including the ten-foot-tall, fully walking “Giant Andy” that became a tourist attraction in the East Village throughout the Summer of 2022. They presented their full-length show HOME (a Jim Henson Foundation Grant recipient) at the Tank NYC in 2019. Their puppet film LIGHT AS PAPER has been named an Official Selection by the Vienna International Film Awards, Canada’s Festival of Animated Objects, and the Coney Island Film Festival. Evolve created the world premiere production of former Czech President Vàclav Havel’s play MOTORMORPHOSIS for UTC61’s Havel Festival. They’ve created puppetry for Theater East’s DEVIL AND THE DEEP, a musical co-written by Graham Russell of Air Supply; Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble’s PRINCESS MALEINE at La MaMa; UTC61’s adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s CAT’S CRADLE; and many other productions. Evolve has also performed many original works at venues that include La MaMa, HERE Arts Center, St. Ann’s Warehouse, The Brick, Dixon Place, and two Puppeteers of America National Festivals. They are currently developing their fourth full-length puppet play, THEY WERE CALLED TREES. evolvepuppets.com

EVOLVE PUPPETS VIDEO LINKS:
Sizzle reel for “HOME” (1:43):
https://vimeo.com/401796366

LIGHT AS PAPER, puppet film (8:17):
https://vimeo.com/539295984