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Our MissionThe Willow Branch Puppet Theater presents ancient and modern fairy tales filled with nourishing life and health giving forces that are available to the willing soul from the interplay of archetypal imaginations of human existence. We strive to preserve the language of the original stories that have a musical, color-filled structure, tone and rhythm woven into a poetic unity and filled with the wisdom of ages. The many characters (King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Witch, etc.) are all aspects of each person. The question that is asked is, "How do we nurture childhood?" The fairy-folk tales are not arbitrary stories of make-believe, but true archetypal images, prophetic, visionary and idealistic. Through the activities and relationships in the stories, balance, harmony and justice, beauty, truth and goodness are awakened and set in cosmic order within the soul of the audience and participant watching and listening, child and adult alike, therefore, recognizing the stories are a healing balm. We wish to present these transformative picture imaginations with beauty and sensitivity without intellectualizing and explaining the story content, nor changing the story to appeal to the adult intellect using adult humor and political satire, but to allow the original story with its true imaginative pictures, nurture the individual. This will ultimately have a positive affect on the social community. Even Mahatma Gandhi understood that the health of a society is determined by the quality of the lives of the children. And, the Masai people of east Africa are acutely aware that the key to the well-being of their cultural future are the children, and will ask - "How are the children?"
Company ProfileThe Willow Branch Puppet Theater Group consists of its artistic director, DoloresRose Dauenhauer, and the first, second and third year students of The Pacific Northwest School of Puppetry. The theater, which started in 1981, was originally known as The Silver Star Glove Puppet Theater giving glove puppet performances, later adding 19" five-string silk marionettes, in Seattle and the surrounding areas for over 15 years. After re-grouping in 1999, the theater gave its first performance, under its present name, in April 2000. In the Fall of 2000 it presented its first puppet opera, Goethe's fairy tale, "The Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily", walking with 30" marionettes on the large stage with a cast of 12 and using the piano score of the 20th century opera, with the same title, written by the Austrian professor of composition at the New Vienna Conservatory of Music, the late Egon Lustgarten (1887-1961). This presentation was also taken to Vancouver, BC and Port Townsend and eventually had a cast of 25 with a 7-piece orchestra. Since then, the theater has added two new smaller marionette performances and, in October 2004, another puppet opera titled "The Blue Mountain", again with 30" puppets but this time adding a shadow theater for part of the performance. This Norwegian fairy tale had a total of 33 puppets and a cast of 16, again using the piano score from the opera with the same title by Egon Lustgarten. The theater is non-profit, 501 (c) 3, through its sponsoring organization Center For Anthroposophical Endeavors, (CFAE). Its artistic director is a member of Puppeteers of Puget Sound, Puppeteers of America and the North American Association for the Renewal of Puppetry. DoloresRose Dauenhauer, received a B.A. in psychology and art therapy from Antioch University Seattle in 1994 and then went on to study watercolor painting therapy at the Emerald Foundation in Den Hague, Holland from 1994-1997. Then in 2006 and 2007 she attended The School of Spiritual Psychology for a two year course in Spirit Healing. She is a registered counselor in the State of Washington. DoloresRose, a moving force behind the founding of the Seattle Waldorf School, later founded the theater in 1984 after performing monthly puppet shows for three years. And, in 2001 founded The Pacific Northwest School of Puppetry. Testimonials:"The level of effort that was involved in the production of The Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily requires the appreciation of everyone in the puppetry community. The nineteen 30" beautifully designed and constructed puppets alone are worth the effort to see this performance." Nancy Pheiffer, Whidbey Island, Washington Waldorf Kindergarten Teacher. "Goethe's fairy tale The Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily is an imaginative description of the initiation of mankind, of humanity crossing the threshold of the spiritual world (the River). I regard this initiative of DoloresRose Dauenhauer as an important deed at the beginning of the 21st century to bring this other 'apocalypse' to peoples minds here in the west coast of North America." Michael Kietzler, Priest of the Christian Community Church, Burnaby, BC. "Magic and beauty are presented with obvious devotion, loving care and sweat of the brow by all performers." Alicia R. Marroquin, RN, Tacoma, Washington. "Lovely use of fairy tale quality suffused throughout all aspects of the production including marionettes, score and set. I enjoyed the integration of the music with the script and puppetry; the puppetry was amazing. The lifelike quality of the marionettes delighted me. The set was beautiful - it truly evoked this 'other world' of the fairy tale. All in all it was such an evocative piece, I'm still drifting into it from time to time. I love when that happens." Dr. Connie Amundson, Seattle, Washington "My granddaughter Rowan was mesmerized. When it ended she turned to me a bit sadly and said, "It is too bad it had to be so short." She did not want it to be over yet. You are making a tremendous difference in the lives of these precious children who are fortunate to live in the Northwest. The beauty, the gentle movements, the subtle gestures, the musical excellence have captured the child in me. There was a moment near the end, where the music, the puppets, the story all bloomed in such a way that beauty had penetrated into my soul - it was at that moment little Rowan whispered into my ear, "I wish my Mommy and Daddy could see this." Pam Boulding, Magical Strings, Ollala, Washington
Contact InformationIf you wish to be contacted about up-coming performances, please send your name and e-mail address to our web-site address below. Or call for further information about the theater, school of puppetry and ticket reservations.
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