METHOD TO MADNESS FESTIVAL LINK’S HALL
That element of self-congratulation isn’t particularly attractive, or relevant: you can use all the recycled materials in the world and still not produce good art. But good, thrifty small-scale works can make a point by countering the trend in our culture toward the huge and expensive—Broadway musicals, big-budget movies, TV series.
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By far the most finished piece was the opera, Laika’s Coffin, directed by Frank Maugeri and written by Seth Bockley, both of Redmoon. Also the largest piece, it featured a dozen experienced singers, performers, and puppeteers; Kevin O’Donnell’s brief arias efficiently delivered the story. Care seems to have been lavished on this work, which is about Laika, the dog that in 1957 became the first living creature launched into space. The intricate puppetry consists of three boxes that open and unfold to reveal different scenes: a starry sky, a Moscow street. Puppets—a girl, a dog, a space capsule—mime the action. The creators have taken some liberties with the story (Laika was reportedly a stray, but here she has an owner, the girl, who loves her). That makes Laika’s Coffin a bit precious: highly polished miniatures can seem merely cunning, especially if the context is sentimental. But I have to admit that the dog’s whimpering as it met its fate at the end, while the chorus sang “I have seen what no one has seen,” was affecting. Coming at the end of the program, Laika’s Coffin was like dessert, a little cake topping off this potluck evening of homemade dishes.v
