Rehearsing with Gods: Photographs and Essays on the Bread & Puppet Theater

by Ronald T. Simon, Marc Estrin

Peter Schumann and his Bread & Puppet Theater are likely the most important, and surely the longest-lasting, contributors to modern American theater history. Since the early sixties Schumann and his puppeteers have been pouring out work after work on every political works, mysterious works, grand works, modest works, works on the street and works in fields, works to be played in every size theater on four continents, books, prints, posters, and banners which live as show-and-tell in so many homes. Now Ron Simon and Marc Estrin, a remarkable photographer, and a long-time puppeteer, who have each in his own way contributed to the shows, recorded events, and reflected on them. Out of their experiences they have created Rehearsing with Photographs and Essays on the Bread & Puppet Theater. Far more than history or documentation, they identify eight archetypes engaged repeatedly by Peter Schumann and his crew. Their book consists of parallel meditations—the texts not commenting on the photos, the photos not illustrating the texts—unified and intertwined by the chapter themes of Death, Fiend, Beast, Human, World, Gift, Bread, and Hope. Altogether, it's a collaboration that reflects their sixty-odd man-years of personal experience in, hidden narratives of, and speculative reflections on Peter Schumann's projects, ever-more relevant to our times. This is a book that will engage both fans and newcomers—an inside-view of Peter Schumann's political-artistic world.

Genres: Art, Theatre, Photography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Ronald T Simon is a Montreal-based photographer and artist who has been documenting the world famous Bread & Puppet Theater for nearly 30 years. In 2004, he published Rehearsing with Gods (with Marc Estrin, foreword by Grace Paley). Ron is pleased to announce a second book on Bread & Puupet, early summer, 2019.

Marc Estrin is an author, cellist, and political activist living in Burlington, Vermont. He has published four novels, and a memoir of his thirty-five years of working with the Bread & Puppet Theater."

Reviews

[Samantha Shain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for fans of Bread and Puppet. Some of the wordplay was really fun and thought provoking (gift/gift; bread/pain). Several of the photographs were incredibly captivating! (Although I was yearning for them to move and talk!). The book is written with a love and reverence for B&P that I share, however it is missing the sarcasm/whimsy/IRreverence that I so cherish about the political puppet world.

[Kristin]

beautiful photos, very interesting stories about B&P from an inside perspective