mamusch & co.
glottman celebrates the back to school season with ‘kids day’ during 2nd saturdays art walk at our design showroom in wynwood where mamusch & co. will present an exclusive performance of prokofiev’s “peter & the wolf”–a puppet play for kids and grown ups too. the intent of prokofiev’s “peter and the wolf” was to cultivate the musical tastes of young children in their formative years. prokofiev recognized how important music is to childhood development. glottman recognizes this, too. bring your kids & experience the magic of puppetry and music at this exclusive event. the event will also feature new work by floral designer eva glottman, as well as a preview of new glottman products coming soon. performances run on the hour starting @ 3pm, 4pm, 5pm & 6pm at 219 nw 26 st miami, fl. the following interview with mamusch & co. founder & director dario gonzalez, also known as monsieur mamusch, was conducted between rehearsals for “peter & the wolf” while the puppets took a well-deserved fifteen minute break.
glottman: why did you select prokofiev’s “peter & the wolf”?
mamusch: the music. having such a powerful element guide my creative process made it a lot easier to devise the entire production. i wanted to explore different puppet-making techniques and created a very diverse cast. there are moving mouth puppets, marionettes, masks, rod puppets, and all kinds of mixed techniques—very much like the way in which prokofiev composed his symphony. he used the instruments of the orchestra to represent each character, and i have used different techniques to bring each character to life.
glottman: prokofiev believed that music is vital to childhood development. how important is it to you?
mamusch: i believe children are sometimes not given the freedom to explore music. they learn what to like from popular culture, a culture which does not teach individuality. that’s why i am so happy to see children at my performances because it represents a portion of the population that is discovering classical music sometimes for the first time.
glottman: how did you get into puppetry?
mamusch: i built my first puppet when i was eight using old pieces of fabric and one of my grandmother’s shawls. soon after, i created my first puppet theater and began putting on performances for some of the kids around the block. i remember that i felt very comfortable living in these private worlds where my puppet characters lived. personally, i’ve always been an introverted individual, and these frequent escapes into my imagination, i remember, were very liberating for me.
glottman: what does it take to put on a performance?
mamusch: lots of writing and sketching and thinking. the first step is to begin writing or adapting the story. i am constantly altering the text since all my productions are true one-man shows and having three active characters onstage is already quite the challenge. while the scenes are developing, the puppet-making process must commence as well (this is the most challenging part for me since my entrance into the world of puppeteering was completely serendipitous and hence my skills come from very limited personal experience.) i have never considered myself to be a visual artist, i just began building and hoped for the best. a very inherent attribute of my puppets is that they come from lots of recycled materials: cardboard, used clothing, foam cups, plastic spoons and all kinds of “trash” that i collect.
glottman: mamusch is described as a “truly talented chap, has a doctorate in puppet arts from the prestigious institut international de la marionnette, three doctorates in philosophy, a doctoracte in english language and french language and finally, yet another doctorate in music.” mamusch, you seem like a very motivated chap. where do you find time to perform?
mamusch: monsieur mamusch, an imagined individual to some, represents my very eclectic character which led me to puppetry in the first place. he is also the personified spirit of my productions which requires me to write, act, dance, direct, choreograph, build and think out every detail of each production. i’d like to be like m. mamusch when I grow up.
glottman: hmmm, I thought you were mamusch! so, mystery man, tells us about your loyal apprentice, dario. how vital is his role?
mamusch: i’d rather not say. it would give him a big head.
glottman: what should kids and parents expect when they come to your show?
mamusch: hopefully, kids and parents don’t take our productions too seriously. they should come to laugh if they choose or to cry if they must. there are no required emotions during our performances. most of all, they should come because they love classical music or because they love puppetry or live theatre. that is the true essence of this company: to present these elements to all who are interested in exploring their own capacity to make art.
about dario gonzalez, founder & director of mamusch & co.: born in the town of placetas, province of villa clara, cuba, he defected to south florida (Hialeah) on Nov. 25, 2005 (Age 11) and graduated from mater academy charter high school & is currently is studying theatre/dance at MDC. gonzalez also trains at ballet etudes school & performs frequently with ballet etudes dance co. mamusch & co. performs twice a week at bayfront park. to learn more about mamusch & co. & dario gonzalez visit www.mamusch.blogspot.com
glottman + mamusch & co. present prokofiev’s “peter & the wolf”–a puppet play for kids & grown-ups too! saturday, september 14th, 2013 @ 3pm, 4pm, 5pm & 6pm. please rsvp by filling out the form below. refreshments & surprises served.
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