Written by | This Sunday! Register today! UNIMA-USA brings you a ZOOM EVENT! SUNDAY FEBRUARY, 12 2023 5:00 PM ET |
Historically puppeteers have created works that celebrate the cultural or religious heritage of groups. What works are contemporary companies sharing in our diverse society? The event is free for members and nonmembers, but advance registration is required. Click HERE to signup and get your link. Please be sure to adjust the start time on your calendar for your time zone.
Our presenters will be:
 Matthew Isaac Cohen “Wayang Esther: Performing the Book of Esther as a Javanese-Style Shadow Puppet Play for the Holiday of Purim” Matthew Isaac Cohen, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut, and a scholar-practitioner specializing in global traditions of puppet theatre, Indonesian performing arts, intercultural and transnational performance, and cultural heritage. Trained in traditional shadow puppet theatre (wayang kulit), Professor Cohen has performed both traditional and contemporary shadow puppet plays in Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America. |
 Stephen Kaplin “Chinese Theatre Works’ Annual Touring Production Celebrates the 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac Using Traditional ‘Budaixi’ Hand Puppets, Music, Song and Games” Stephen Kaplin is a graduate of the Puppetry Arts program of the University of Connecticut (1979) and of the NYU’s Performance Studies Department (1989). Puppet production, design and performance credits include work with The Bread and Puppet Theater, Lee Breuer, Ping Chong, Susan Feldman, Theodora Skipitares, Julie Taymor and George Wolfe. He is co-founding member of Great Small Works, and is also a co-founder and co-artistic director of Chinese Theatre Works. |
 Manuel Antonio Morán Martínez “Dream of Kings: Storytelling, Shadow Puppetry, and Sing-Along Production” Manuel Antonio Morán Martínez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and has worked as an actor, singer, writer, composer, puppeteer, theater and film director and producer in his country, Latin America, Europe and the United States. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of SEA, Society of the Educational Arts, Inc. (www.teatrosea.org), with offices in Puerto Rico, Florida and New York City. Celebrating its 35 years in 2020, SEA’s objective is to offer a real entertainment alternative, with cultural value and educational quality, for kids, the youth and adults through bilingual educational programs like workshops, seminars, theater and other cultural artistic expressions. |
 Matthew Cohen’s “Esther & Mordechai”  Chinese Theatre Works-“Hao Bang ah Mouse”- wedding |
 Teatro SEA- “Dream of Kings” |
| Presented by UNIMA-USA with the kind assistance of the Center for Puppetry Arts. |