An Evening of Crankies with Katherine Fahey and Eric Bass & Ines Zeller Bass

Sunday, April 20 at 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM), 90-minutes, with intermission

Tickets are available for $20 in advance ($23 at the door), $15 in advance for ages 13 and under ($18 at the door), and $30 for preferred seating (pay-what-you-can available)

All Ages

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An Evening of Crankies with Katherine Fahey & Eric Bass and Ines Zeller Bass

Join us for a night of Crankies!  What is a Crankie?  They are a form of visual performance - the original moving picture!  A scroll of artwork is mounted in a box, which is cranked, so the viewer can see the artwork moving across the front of the box as the story reveals itself one crank at a time!

Folk art is not static; it shifts with the times, uncovering new meanings in old words, new ways of talking about the communal pathways that led us to where we are today. For artist-puppeteers Katherine Fahey and Dan Van Allen, Crankies are a way to interpret our uncertain times, to draw artistic inspiration and power from the sources of meaning in their lives. History, community, folk tales, ballads, live performance, and environmental instability all manifest in the sounds, feelings, and sensations that permeate their Crankies. Their work transports audiences to another time and place, with their authentic and personal interpretations of folk tales, oral histories, and songs of America and Canada. 

To make the evening even more exciting, we welcome even more Crankies provided by Eric and Ines Bass, founders of Putney, VT's Sandglass Theater.  Ines Zeller Bass has blended evocative illustration with a puppeteer’s dramatic sensibility, in creating images that are original and delightful. Eric Bass has added his own perspective as a theater director, helping to make each individual crankie a dramatic and musical event. Their crankies, taken together, present an arc of songs that are sometimes funny, sometimes quite moving, and often evoke metaphorical worlds and journeys, complementing both original and traditional songs. In sharing a program with Katherine and Dan, Eric and Ines will present four crankies that include a rollicking pub song, a Yiddish lullabye, a 1930’s novelty song with a contemporary twist, and a beautiful rendition of David Surette’s haunting “Give Me One More Day.”

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Artist Bios

Baltimore based artist Katherine Fahey is a a candid and thoughtful multidisciplinary artist who combines the crafts of storytelling, hand cut papercut artwork, and shadow puppetry in the form of *crankies. Katherine’s Crankies are often based on folk tales, oral histories, or songs from the southern swamps of Louisiana to the northern reaches of Inuit Quebec. Others are personal stories from her childhood in Virginia or the streets of her home in Baltimore City. Visionary artist Dan Van Allen accompanies the Crankies as puppeteer and foley artist.

Eric Bass and Ines Zeller Bass founded Sandglass Theater in 1982, and the renowned puppet company from Putney VT has toured the world with award winning performances. Eric and Ines came to crankies as an extension of their puppet art and they have created an array of crankies that range from a humorous to enigmatic, and from traditional to original. Inspired by crankie artists as diverse as Katherine Fahey, Anna and Elizabeth, and Bread and Puppet Theater, Eric and Ines have their own unique take on this art form, blending Ines’ engaging artwork with Eric’s guitar and banjo arrangements. They have been the organizers of Sandglass’ crankie festival (now called “A Rafter of Crankies”) since 2014, developing the mystique and low-tech charm of pairing song and story with rolling pictures.

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PAY WHAT YOU CAN

No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please use this online form or contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org to take advantage of pay-what-you-can admission.

EVENT PARKING

Free on-street parking is available in Mayo Street Arts’ neighborhood.

There is one paid parking lot conveniently located a six-minute walk from the venue: Top of the Old Port Parking (119 Pearl St, Portland ME 04101)

Mayo Street Arts is accessible by Greater Portland Metro bus routes with nearby transfer points 7, 9A & 9B. Click here to learn more.

ACCESSIBILITY

All performances and most other events held at Mayo Street Arts are wheelchair accessible. There are two accessible spots directly in front of our building, however there is not yet a curb cut out at that location.

If you would benefit from additional information or accommodations, we invite you to contact us at info@mayostreetarts.org or 207-879-4629.

COMMUNITY HEALTH

Audience members — in addition to artists, staff & volunteers — who feel sick or exhibit symptoms of illness should stay home out of respect for others.

SEATING POLICY

We will save your reserved seat until showtime, at which point any unclaimed seats may be offered to other people. Please call our box office at 207-879-4629 if you are running late.

CANCELATION POLICY

MSA has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that MSA is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via the Ticket Tailor platform.