photo credit: Laren Tony
Dark Matter Resident Leah Lara has amazed us throughout their time in the Residency, bringing us into the magical realm of puppetry. They’ve helped the Elastic community engage in this rich art form in new ways through their own playful and innovative presentations/characters, including a tunnel book workshop for participants of all ages to enjoy.
In the final presentation of their Residency, they continue their exploration of the archetype of the mermaid, Blackness, religious ritual, and the rise of a digital reality in: ‘P.K.’ In Progress Interactive Showing.
Come make electronic music with the mystical sound-weaving theremin, and see props and puppets from past works Fish Sermon (developed in the Chicago Puppet Lab) and LightH0us3 ScreenSaver (debuted at Elastic Arts’ AfroFuturist Weekend 9). Also on view will be models and sketches from the overarching and in progress show P.K.
This showing is for all ages – get a close-up look at the work, and offer your feedback!
Let’s celebrate Leah’s Residency here at Elastic Arts and support them in developing what’s to come!
Doors at 7PM
$15/$10 w/ Student ID - Tickets Available at the Door
Thanks so much to The Joyce Foundation, the Reva and David Logan Foundation, and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for their support of the Residency.
About PK
The puppet ballet in development, PK, follows a young girl’s struggles as her group of lifelong friends gradually falls apart due to the social hierarchy of middle school girlhood. Her father, the pastor of a interracial church, struggles as the congregation turns against him in order to gain power in the church. This modern retelling of The Little Mermaid investigates the parallels of power structures in the Christian church, comparing it to the popularity hierarchy of middle school girls. Elements of the church are embedded with aquatic motifs, while the teenage/ middle school elements are represented through technology.
About Leah
Leah Lara is black nonbinary puppeteer and 3-D illustrator from Dallas Tx. They received their BFA from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where they majored in Illustration. Their work often investigates the black femme experience while drawing on dark and whimsical fairy tale archetypes and themes, utilizing fairytales as a way to reexamine social structures, behaviors, social hierarchies, and biases. They love working with their hands, and stick to the commitment of writing, designing, and performing one original puppet show a year. They have performed at Bread and Puppet, Boston Showplace Puppet Theater, Brown University, Co Prosperity, Color Club, and AfroFuturist Weekend 9 at Elastic Arts.