A Girl without Wings

Taken by the post-colonial issues of alienation, cultural isolation, and poverty faced by our partner Quechuan communities high in the Andes of Ecuador and inspired by their spirit, stories and paintings (see dramaturgical note), this reimagined Andean myth was born as Jason Williamson's first commission in Dramatic Adventure Theatre's Global Play Initiative.  

Andean myth meets an indie love story in this girl meets bird play.  

A lonely Condor and the beautiful Chaska fall hopelessly in love. Fortune, however, is not these lovers' friend because Chaska is not another bird but a wingless shepherd girl.  In the merciless but beautiful Andes, the joy and pain of first love between a demigod who yearns for companionship and a girl who must leave her poverty-stricken family to ascend to the skies unfolds.

A Girl without Wings immerses spectators in a whimsical puppet world where a Native-Andean folktale is reborn amidst wicked hummingbirds darting through the air, brightly colored threads of prayer that reach for the gods and a storm of shoes that rains from the sky.  In this new play for all audiences, a contemporary riff of a timeless tale comes to life and we witness the painful steps that only brave ones take to pursue their happiness.

#girlmeetsbird

Co-production with IATI Theater
Directed by Kathleen Amshoff

Artistic Director: Jesse Baxter
Executive Director: Mary K. Baxter
Stage Manager: Maxwell Waters
Lighting Design: Carl Wiemann
Set Design: Brittany Vasta
Costume Design: Angela Harner
Puppetry Advisor: The Puppet Kitchen
Dramaturg: Christen Madrazo
Live Music: Thomas Burns Scully

Featuring Janice Amaya, Mike Axelrod, Andrew Clarke, Christen Madrazo, Ivano Pulito, Laura Riveros, and Matt Stannah

Photos by Isaac Danna  

New York Times Review: "Spare Times for Children: A Girl without Wings"

This production was made in part with the support of the Jim Henson Foundation

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