The Decatur Arts Alliance is preparing to showcase the latest traveling puppet show by Bread & Puppet Theater. Coming all the way from Vermont, the performance offers a double bill of “The Possibilitarian Imperative Everything Show” and “Gray Lady Cantata #9” directed by Peter Schumann.
Centered around the concept of “possibilitarian,” a Marc Estrin translation of Robert Musil’s German term “möglichkeitsmensch” which translates to “possibility person.”
Originally appearing in Musil’s novel “The Man Without Qualities” which outlines the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the term has been reinvigorated to highlight the open-ended possibilities of the human condition in the face of tragedy and catastrophe.
Director Peter Schumann wrote “at a time when Freedom and Democracy slaughter babies and moms by the dozen every day and don’t even seem to have any understanding of what they are doing to the world or to themselves, we Possibilitarians, operating on the Principle of Hope, put on our boots to kick aside impossibility and declare new possibility in response to this obviously despaired situation.”
Meanwhile, “Gray Lady Cantata #9” is a continuation of a series that originated in the 1960s and 70s in response to the Vietnam War. Drawing parallels between that conflict and the ongoing war in Gaza, the original iconic gray lady puppets move through vignettes that explore themes of grief, war, and resistance.
A beloved tradition for the Bread & Puppet Theater, don’t miss servings of their famous sourdough rye with aioli. Visitors can also peruse the “Cheap Art” for sale including books, posters, postcards, pamphlets, and banners. General admission tickets start at $25 each.
This two-night performance series will take place at The Chapel on Sycamore in Decatur on Tues., Dec. 3 and Wed., Dec. 4, 2024. More information and tickets can be found on the Decatur Arts Alliance website.
