SpringWorks~PuppetWorks! presents ‘My Great Work’ a micro-puppet performance

David Espinosa from Barcelona Spain, brings his creative micro-puppet show to Falstaff Family Centre for four separate shows on Valentine’s Day weekend.

Imagine what could be done with an unlimited budget, the largest theatre in the world, 300 actors on stage, a military orchestra, a rock band, animals, cars and a helicopter, but on a micro-stage. This is what “My Great Work” by David Espinosa from Spain brings to the audience this Valentine’s Day weekend. The award-winning artist comes to Stratford while touring more than 30 countries over the years.

At a scale of 1:87, the petite performance uses miniatures to tell short stories in the one hour show to be held at Falstaff Family Centre Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 14 at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

“I saw this particular work by David Espinosa and was blown away by just the concept and the skill and the storytelling and how you can say something incredibly profound by moving two objects. It’s micro-puppetry and I think the scale is 1:87,” said Eileen Smith, artistic director for SpringWorks Festival.

The performance is an intimate one with a maximum audience size of 20 for each show. The table-top scene where the stories take place will be enhanced by opera glasses to watch the puppetry in action. Step into the inventive world Espinosa has created, a dynamic visual universe without words, as it demonstrates a commentary on the reality artists and global citizens inhabit.

“It’s in a sense like a cabaret, a set of short stories. Some of them are funny, some of them are serious, and some of them are thought-provoking. For instance, a life story of a couple meeting and marrying and then just going through the cycle of life is one of the stories,” Smith said.

Espinosa has travelled the world with his micro-puppets. Currently coming off a tour of Kelowna and Calgary, SpringWorks was invited to be a part of the tour.

“We work really hard to make international artists’ journeys affordable and environmentally respectful. The heavy lifting was done in Kelowna and grants were applied for in Spain as well as Canada. We are so lucky that people want to work together and make the world a better place. It’ll help people to have unusual, curious, insightful art brought to your hometown,” said Smith.

With the show running about an hour, not to mention on Valentine’s Day weekend, this can be an exciting experience as part of an afternoon coffee date or a night out for dinner and a show, perhaps. Additionally, there is the ticketing choice of the Champagne Exclusive. With this offering, you will enjoy the show and receive your choice of a beverage: wine, beer, cider, prosecco or a non-alcoholic option, a selection of sweet and savoury nibbles and you can chat with artist Espinosa after the show.

“You have a range of ways to celebrate your love of puppetry or your love of whosoever would be fun to invite – be it a friend, a colleague, a loved one – just to celebrate love because the world so needs to celebrate love right now,” said Smith.

For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit www.springworksfestival.ca.