Flying Lessons
Created by Caitlin Brzezinski
and Libby Schap
On a dark night, as a storm brews on the horizon, three women take refuge in an abandoned house. Inside sleeps a strange world of memory and desire, awakened by their presence. Soon the women are lured into confrontation with their deepest “chimera” or desires; desire for transformation, for family, and for escape. Through play and experimentation, Flying Lessons asks us to imagine a world in which our fantasies are possible — in which surrealist, disjointed dreams become reality — if only for the night. Recommended for adults and teens.
Flying Lessons is a dance-like shadow puppet show, using traveling shadow screens, flying puppet characters, and non-traditional lighting. Blurring the line between puppet, set, and plaything — characters cross the fourth wall, are lit in front of or behind a screen, merge to form visual hybrids, and appear in surprising ways. This art nouveau aesthetic, with a graphic novel twist, results in an enchanting and unsettling evening of theater for adults.
Performed by Caitlin Brzezinski, Libby Schap, and Lisa Joyce. Original music by Marshall Daniels and Everett Hardin. This production has been awarded the Jim Henson Foundation Workshop (2018) and Production (2019) grant.
About the Artists
Brzezinski & Schap, the creative partnership of Caitlin Brzezinski and Libby Schap, began constructing and producing shadow puppet theater collaboratively in 2016. Together they have developed a distinct style featuring moving shadows screens, innovative light textures, and blurred lines between performer and shadow character. Most recently, Brzezinski & Schap have created several short shadow puppet films including a four part series, Body Stories, which asks the viewer to explore the question: what is it like to be in your body? In addition to creating original productions, they have had the opportunity to complete artist residencies at Puppet Showplace Theater, The Ko Festival, and The Virtual Puppet Residency.
Caitlin Brzezinski recently completed a two year training program at the William Esper Studio in New York City. Caitlin is a veteran performer at the Puppet Showplace Slam and has created puppet performances using text from Italo Calvino's “Distance from the Moon” and audio of children telling stories. More information can be found at www.caitlinbrzezinski.com.
Libby Schap currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts and tours community programs with The Kids on the Block, an educational puppet troupe building disability awareness. More information can be found at www.libbyschap.com.
Lisa Joyce is a Boston native and graduate of Salem State University. Previous credits include The Man Who Came to Dinner, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Damn Yankees, The Producers, Spamalot (Barnstormers Theatre), The Broadway Jukebox (Brown Box Theatre Project), Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (Off The Grid), The Salonnieres (Greater Boston Stage), and Once Upon a Mattress (FPAC and Hackmatack Playhouse). Sending lots of love and thanks to her friends and family!
Flying Lessons was awarded a 2019 Jim Henson Foundation Production grant. It also received generous support from the Bob Jolly Charitable Trust, the Ko Festival, and Puppet Showplace Theater’s Incubator program.
This production has received a StageSource Standing O for work towards achieving gender parity in New England theatre.
