The Cashore Marionettes are coming to Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts September 21 | Press Releases

"The range of movement truly has to be seen to be believed and even that might be pushing it." The Toronto Sun

Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts presents the internationally acclaimed Cashore Marionettes for two special performances Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The Herman Goldman Foundation and the Fairfield County Community Foundation help to make possible an ArtsBound performance on Monday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m.

The Cashore Marionettes redefine the art of puppetry through exceptional artistry, grace and refinement of movement. The performances, stunning in their intensity and simple beauty, have thrilled audiences in Europe, the Far East and across North America including stops at the Kennedy Center, Annenberg Center, Kravis Center and now, at the Quick Center for the Arts.

The program, "Simple Gifts," which is intended for a family audience with children in grades 3-6, is a series of touching portrayals and poignant scenes from everyday life set to stunning music by such composers as Vivaldi, Strauss, Beethoven and Copland. The original vignettes presented in "Simple Gifts," through a combination of virtuoso manipulation, beautiful music, theatrical illusion, and artistic insight, provide a sensitive vision of what it is to be human. From humorous to tragic, the performance spans the range of emotions with characters and actions that are amazingly convincing. The marionettes are engineering marvels and the quality of movement is extraordinary.

In the thirty years since he began designing and performing his remarkable marionettes, Joseph Cashore has received numerous awards for his artistry including a Pew Fellowship for Performance Art, based upon his artistic accomplishment; a Henson Foundation Grant, an award intended to help promote puppetry to adult audiences; and a Citation of Excellence from the UNIMA-USA, the highest honor an American puppeteer can receive. The Cashore Marionettes are so well conceived and projected, the movement so convincing, the illusion so powerful, that the result is a compelling, unforgettable theatrical experience.

Tickets for the Sunday performances are $15 adults, $12 children and for the Monday ArtsBound performance, $7. They are available online at fairfield.edu/quick or by calling (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit the website at fairfield.edu/quick.