Z Space and piece by piece productions present:
Birdheart
Devised, Directed, and Designed by Julian Crouch and Saskia Lane
April 6 - 17, 2016 at Z Below
An egg cracks open. A restless spirit emerges. What will it become?
An intimate theatre piece of animated puppetry created with a sheet of brown paper, found objects, shadows and a box of sand. A show about transformation, loneliness, and the urge to fly, Birdheart holds a mirror up to humanity and offers it a chair. Through a series of animated images built in front of the audiences’ eyes Birdheart creates something achingly beautiful from the humblest of beginnings.
Currently represented on Broadway with his Tony-nominated scenic design for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the world-renowned theatre designer, director and puppet-maker Julian Crouch has also wowed audiences with Satyagraha (2008 – Metropolitan Opera, New York, USA) the devilishly delightful Shockheaded Peter (1999 – London and internationally) and Wolves in the Walls (2007 – New Victory Theatre, New York, USA).
With her band The Lascivious Biddies the multi-talented Saskia Lane has appeared with artists as diverse as Jay-Z and Beyonce, Marc Ribot and the Kronos Quartet. Together, Julian and Saskia, who have collaborated on several international productions, team up to create their first project as duo puppeteers and performers.
Co-commissioned by VisionIntoArt and National Sawdust’s curator in residence program, Birdheart was developed as a part of the New Victory LabWorks Artist Residency Program, the Watermill Center Residency Program, and the Dillion Gallery Series, with additional support from St. Ann’s Warehouse Puppet Lab, the Henson Foundation, and, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council.
