The New York State Puppet Festival invites you to an informal work-in-progress showing of the brand new puppet theatre piece by Josh Rice Projects, KAYFABE!!!

Inspired by Josh's life-long fascination with professional wrestling, Kayfabe is the title of this absurdist wrestling puppet show, but "kayfabe" is also the term used in professional wrestling of presenting staged performances as genuine or authentic.  Philosopher and critic Roland Barthes wrote in Mythologies, “The function of the wrestler is not to win; it is to go exactly through the motions that are expected of him.” Drawing from Barthes and the work of Samuel Beckett, this piece explores fantasy, reality, and the spaces in-between, using puppetry, projection, dance, and the very real world of professional wrestling.

This informal work-in-progress is the culmination of a week-long residency. You're invited to see what we've been working on, and we welcome you to stay after the show for a Q&A and feedback for the artists.

Kayfabe is created, designed, and directed by Josh Rice, featuring puppeteers Emma Wiseman, Madeleine Dauer, & Rowan Magee, with projection design by Chris Carcione, stage managed by Emily Grierson. The show will have performances scheduled for the New York State Puppet Festival, June 23-July 3, 2022.

*Funding for this project is made possible through the New York State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Grant, and the Arts Council for Wyoming County Community Arts Grant. All proceeds from this 3/19 showing will go toward future development of the project.