Underground Railway Theater

Wes Sanders & Debra Wise, Underground Railway Theater, Engine of Delight and Social Change Third Edition, 2023.
Available at  smashwords.com. Free with code TL59P.  Full price: $10.

Review by Carol Sterling

As an educational puppeteer for fifty-five years plus, I’ve long been enchanted by the achievements of Underground Railway Theater (URT). Now Wes Sanders and Debra Wise, co-founders of the company, have documented their work in the ebook Underground Railway Theater, Engine of Delight and Social Change, which has special relevance for educators in theater, puppetry, art, music, dance, and creative writing, especially at the high school, college and postgraduate levels. It is also an excellent resource for puppetry and theater companies interested in social change and/or integrating puppetry with classical music. 

 URT has long sought to challenge audiences by suggesting new ways of looking at reality. The hypertext links in this ebook turn the reader into an audience-member who witnesses more than 25 video-clips of live performances, including what happens backstage. More than l00 photos of the company in action are included in the ebook along with their magnificently designed puppets, masks, scenery, costumes and posters.

The book maps the ensemble’s development from a touring to a residential company, forming alliances, collaborating with community groups and developing themes related to social political issues. The clear and compelling text describes URT’s collective devising of scripts; it also highlights organizational growth, mission, board- development, fundraising and strategic planning. 

 URT’s work in schools and with family audiences features the interplay of creative process and nurturing of the imagination through, for example:  

● Addressing such themes as consumerism vs. recycling; gender/racial stereotypes; the achievements of African Americans, Latinx and Native Americans; the sisterhood between Black and White women in the struggle for civil rights; the search for identity / coming of age and environmental justice. 

● Combining classical music with shadow puppetry in productions of The Tempest, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, and The Firebird.

● Featuring the designs and impressive artwork of David Fichter, whose puppets, masks, scenery and posters deserve a wide audience.    

Study Guides for school performances are mailed to teachers prior to the presentations. These include background information on featured themes and follow-up activities. Many of the follow-up workshops generate lively, pointed conversations among teachers, students and community-audiences.

A few examples of the excellent educationally focused productions in the ebook include:

● Photos from the production JUNK  with a focus on the importance of recycling, imagination and artistic creation as alternatives to consumerism. For this event, audience members were invited to bring objects from home for recycling. Following the puppet show, they participated in a post-performance workshop and created their own recycled puppets, thus extending the play’s impact.  

● Two plays, Sanctuary: The Spirit of Harriet Tubman (for adult audiences) and Are You Ready, My Sister? (for families) address parallels between the Harriet Tubman story and today’s immigration policies. Using actors, shadow puppets and music, these soulful pieces draw on African- American spirituals; they pay homage to African American cultural heritage. Students who had received the lyrics of the songs prior to the performance were encouraged to sing along with the performers. The study guide they received includes historical background on The Fugitive Slave Act and the Underground Railroad safe passage network founded in the United States during the Civil War.

● Another video clip of Shakespeare’s The Tempest shows a masked storyteller and shadow puppets performing with a live orchestra in a concert hall. The audience is then taken backstage where we see the four puppeteers performing with their shadow puppets while also doing live voices. We enjoy spectacular special effects achieved with a mirror puppet, stretching an image to 20’ or shrinking it to suggest a flickering candle flame.  Educators will find suggestions for adapting classical music or any piece of music for use in a shadow puppet show.  

This wonderful ebook is a testament to URT’s legacy of unwavering commitment to artistic and theatrical excellence, encouraging others to blaze their own trails in creating work that inspires and educates for positive change.

Bio
Carol Sterling, Fulbright Program specialist in Educational puppetry;
UNIMA-USA “Distinguished Luminary of Puppetry in Education” 2023;
Puppeteers of America “President’s Award in Educational Puppetry” 2012.