A Puppet Runs For President: (Stranger Things Have Happened!)
The 2004 election may seem a little weird, but nothing like this.
Mr. Punch, the traditional English puppet with the hooked nose, the hideous laugh, and the penchant for beating his wife with a slapstick, decides to run for President. He is counseled by the Devil, his wife Judy, and three ghosts of Presidents past: George Washington, Richard Nixon, and Millard Fillmore . He ends up in a big debate with incumbent puppet Mr. Shrub, and the audience gets to vote right there and then on who they think should be president. And that's when the voting scandal begins.
This untraditional (but not so unlikely) scenario is the heart of a new 15 minute show which will appear in Providence, RI, just three weeks before the actual election. And, just like the actual election, it will have a surprise ending.
"I wanted to create a show to get both kids and adults excited about voting," says Adam Gertsacov, the Rhode Island based clown, actor, and puppeteer who has written, directed, and will perform the 15 minute show. "The election process is something that effects everyone, yet amazingly, voter turnout is low. I'm hoping to use humor to get people interested in participating in the process."
Gertsacov has been creating and performing solo shows since 1989. Other shows include a Victorian style flea circus, a "Barbie" doll Oedipus Rex, and a historical impersonation of P.T. Barnum. He has performed all over the country,and in various parts of the world. Gertsacov's resume touts him as the Clown Laureate of Greenbelt Maryland and "the most educated clown in America, barring certain elected officials." He is also the festival and executive director of Bright Night Providence, an artist-run New Year's Eve Celebration in Rhode Island's capital city.
Gertsacov says his influences and inspirations are many and various. "The show is kind of a hodgepodge of many different ideas, finely blended and cooked at a 350 degree heat," he says. " I'm mixing in traditional Punch and Judy with presidential facts, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, current events, and even a little South Park. "
Gertsacov received a grant from the Rhode Island State Council On The Arts to help complete the show. "That really gave me the encouragement to go on," Gertsacov says. " The Arts Council seemed to get that humor is a great way to get people interested and involved in important issues."
WHAT: Punch and Judy Election Show (part of a larger show "Blood From A Turnip-- Late Night Puppet Salon")
WHEN: Friday, October 15, 2004 at 10:30 pm.
WHERE: Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street, Providence
COST: $5 (no reservations are available) Show up early!
MORE INFO: 401-331-2695 (theatre) or visit http://www.perishable.org
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