PUTNEY — On Saturday, April 26, Sandglass Theater's co-founder, Ines Zeller Bass, passes the torch as she and her daughters, Jana Zeller and Shoshana Bass, take to the Sandglass stage with “Kasper, Fritzi, and Me.”
More than an afternoon of delightful puppetry, this momentous occasion celebrates the work of Ines Zeller Bass and the rise of a new generation in Sandglass Theater's history.
“Kasper, Fritzi, and Me” features three of Zeller Bass' most cherished puppet pieces: “Punschi,” “Tschokolino,” and “Fritzi's Flea Circus.”
This special presentation is the final event in this year's Winter Sunshine Series at Sandglass Theater. With poetry and song, daughters and mother take to the stage together as Zeller Bass ceremonially hands over her iconic puppets and objects.
“Though family trades are somewhat of a lost tradition and maybe a more old-fashioned approach to career making, as a daughter of Sandglass nothing has ever made more sense to me than to maintain the art of my parents' creations and invest in the longevity of this puppet theater, which has accompanied me through every stage of my life,” Shoshana Bass says.
In “Fritzi's Flea Circus,” Shoshana welcomes audiences into a delightful world of circus feats, presented by a tiny flea with a big personality. In this musical romp, we follow Fritzi as he tries his “hand” at being the strong man, the high diver, and even getting shot out of a cannon and into the audience.
“I can think of no greater gift and inheritance than the honor of receiving this beautifully crafted show with the blessing and direction of my mother,” Shoshana says.
Jana Zeller takes center stage with her mother's adaptation of the traditional German puppet character Kasper.
“Ines made this show when I was still a little kid and we all lived in Germany,” says Jana. “I can't even count how many times I have seen her perform it, and in how many different venues. When Ines told me a few months ago that she wanted to hand the piece over to me, I first thought there was no way I could ever do it. 'Punschi' to me was my mother, Kasper an embodiment of her wonderful humor.”
In “Punschi,” we join Kasper and Augustin, the gentle giant, in their rollicking caper to recover Kasper's suitcase, which a cow has stolen.
“In Germany, Kasper has been handed down for centuries into our times. Now he is being handed down a generation in my own family, and I am honored and proud to carry on my mother's work, and this unique family tradition,” Zeller says.
Rounding out the afternoon, Ines will delight the Winter Sunshine audience with a rare appearance of “Tschokolino,” the shy little puppet clown that lives in a box.
“I am deeply grateful and moved that my creations will continue and will be honored within my own family,” says Ines Zeller Bass, who remains an active and vital member of the Sandglass Theater ensemble.
She says she looks forward to future projects and will continue to present and tour her award-winning “Isidor's Cheek.”