MIGRACIONES / MIGRATIONS, by Paradox Teatro, is a poignant meditation on the global migration situation, which draws on the artists’ own surreal experiences in the U.S. immigration system while inspiring compassionate perspectives from the global refugee crisis.

This original work highlights Paradox Teatro’s mesmerizing blend of hybrid puppets, sand drawings, and multimedia shadow puppetry projections to reveal each character’s journey across sand, water, and darkness in search of a new home. These visual mediums are scored by original live music and sparse poetry in English and Spanish so that MIGRACIONES / MIGRATIONS can push the boundaries of non-verbal storytelling, and further Paradox Teatro’s mission to communicate with audiences across cultures and language barriers.

This production premiered at Open Eye Theater in Minneapolis, the USA with the support of a 2019 Jim Henson Foundation Production Grant. Since then, it has been presented internationally with support from el Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes and el Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes in México. Paradox Teatro is a multimedia puppetry arts company founded in 2017 by Artistic Co-Directors Sofía Padilla of Mexico & Davey T Steinman of the United States.

The photojournalist protagonist, Rubén, is a human-size hybrid body puppet made of thermoplastic, built and performed by Padilla. Rubén, who is both a puppet and a puppeteer of live multimedia projections, uses his camera to take photos on stage that appear as projections, offering a lens for the audience to see his migrant subjects. Rubén puppeteers elemental forms of sand, water, and shadows on the light box as mediums to examine the relationship between the materials of puppetry and the migrant experiences in deserts, oceans, and labyrinthine darkness.

Intended for adults and youth 12+.  The suitability of younger audiences depends on individual maturity level handling complex topics and attention span.

• Writers, directors, and performers: Sofía Padilla & Davey T Steinman
• Sound Designer, Operator, Co-Composer: Dan Dukich
• Lighting Designer: Roberto Morales
• Lighting Operator: Heather Hinrichsen
• Production Manager: Juan Carlos Saavedra

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Friday, September 2, 7:30 PM (Doors 7:00 PM), 45-minutes

Saturday, September 3, 3:00 PM (Doors 2:30 PM), 45-minutes

Tickets are available for $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and $22 for preferred seating (sliding scale available).

Join the artists on Sunday, September 4 at 2:00 PM for the FREE Sand Drawings and Shadows for Live Video Projection Workshop 

Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

ARTIST BIOS

Paradox Teatro is is a multimedia puppetry arts company founded in 2017 by Artistic Co-Directors Sofía Padilla of Mexico & Davey T Steinman of the United States. The company has toured performances and taught residencies in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. The mission of Paradox Teatro is to use performing arts to connect communities across language barriers and cultures.

Paradox Teatro’s work responds to timely cultural issues by blending deeply personal inspirations with universally relevant themes. The company has been awarded three grants from The Jim Henson Foundation for “MIGRACIONES / MIGRATIONS” and “SPEECHLESS / SIN PALABRAS”.

Sofía Padilla is a Mexican theater artist, director, actor, and puppeteer who has performed in over forty national and international theater productions, including companies like Bread and Puppet Theater (USA), 31 Minutes (Chile), Teatro 2 (Cuba), and Los Cantores del Confín (Mexico
City). For television, she was the Assistant Director of Sesame Street in Mexico City for the 2016 season “Monstruos Super Sanos”.

Davey T Steinman is an American artist and professor working at the intersection of performance, technology, and culture. In 2019, the U.S. Department of State awarded Davey a Fulbright Fellowship to collaborate with artists in Mexico City, and to direct multimedia puppetry performances to promote mutually beneficial international relations.

SLIDING SCALE POLICY

No one will be turned away for lack of funds; contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org for information on our sliding scale admission policy.

COVID-19 POLICY

Audience members, staff, and volunteers will be asked to mask while not actively eating, or drinking.

Mayo Street Arts is committed to the safety of everyone at our events and will adhere to all Federal & Maine CDC guidelines on the day of the event. As we anticipate mid-season changes to our COVID-19 policy, please click here to visit our website and view the most current information.

CANCELATION POLICY

Mayo Street Arts 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.

Special thanks to our community partner, Presente Maine!