March 21, 2011

CLOTH AND WOOD COME TO LIFE WHEN THE ANNENBERG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTS THE PREMIERE OF BASIL TWIST’S PETRUSHKA

April 6—16, 2011

"Brilliantly imagined, wonderfully expressive, and breathtakingly realized" New York Magazine

(Philadelphia, March 21, 2011) — Cloth and wood come to life when the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the Philadelphia premiere of Petrushka, conceived, designed and directed by Basil Twist, April 6-16, 2011. A tour-de-force of music, movement, design and storytelling, Petrushka is a puppet- theatre version of the legendary 1911 Ballets Russes production Petrouchka, the story of a tragic love triangle between three magical creatures; the lovesick clown Petrushka, the alluring Ballerina and the dashing Moor, whose stories emerge amidst the swirl of the Russian carnival. For tickets or for more information, please visit AnnenbergCenter.org or call 215.898.3900. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Annenberg Center Box Office.

The program begins with an abstract fantasia of puppetry set to Stravinsky's Sonata for Two Pianos, performed by Russian identical twin pianists Julia and Irina Elkina. After a brief pause, the trio of puppets takes the stage and the Elkina Sisters perform their own special two-piano arrangement of Stravinsky’s score based on the composer’s four-hand version of the piece.

Nine hidden puppeteers dressed and hooded in black – Lindsay Abromaitis-Smith, Kate Brehm, Jenni Campbell, Kristen Kammermeyer, Keri Lewis, Jonothon Lyons, Marc Petrosino, Lake Simons and Christopher Williams – employ the puppetry technique Japanese Bunraku to bring the four feet tall puppets to life.

This project is supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through Dance Advance. All performances are part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, a month long festival featuring over 100 performances and events throughout the region. To learn more, visit www.pifa.org. Petrushka was originally co-commissioned by the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and received its world premiere in May 2001.

-more- Page 2 Basil Twist’s Petrushka at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Basil Twist, originally from San Francisco, is a third-generation puppeteer who lives and works in , and is the sole American graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette in France. Other original creations include The Araneidae Show, Symphonie Fantastique, Master Peter’s Puppet Show, Dogugaeshi, and La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco. Collaborations include Behind the Lid with the late Lee Nagrin and Red Beads with Lee Breuer and . Since 1998, Twist has continually expanded the realm of puppetry by creating and touring new works that integrate live music. He has partnered with such premier institutions as the Spoleto Festival, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center’s New Visions series, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Japan Society, and Gotham Chamber Opera. Twist premiered his Hansel and Gretel with the Houston Grand Opera and Atlanta Opera Company. His work has been recognized with an , four UNIMA Awards for Excellence in Puppetry, two Bessie Awards, a New York Innovative Theatre Award, and an American Theatre Wing Henry Hewes Design Award. Twist is a Guggenheim Fellow and is an inaugural United States Artist Ford Fellow. He is the director of The Dream Music Puppetry Program at HERE Arts Center in New York. For more information about Basil Twist, visit www.basiltwist.com.

Performances of Basil Twist’s Petrushka take place on Wednesday, April 6 at 7:30 PM; Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 PM; Friday, April 8 at 8:00 PM; Saturday, April 9 at 12:00 PM & 4:00 PM; Sunday, April 10 at 2:00 PM; Tuesday April 12 at 7:30 PM; Wednesday, April 13 at 7:30 PM; Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 PM; Friday April 15 at 8:00 PM; and Saturday, April 16 at 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM. Tickets are 20-$30 (weekday evening, weekend matinee performances) $25-$35 (weekend evening performances).

Basil Twist’s Petrushka Enhancement Events

Audience members are invited to stay after the performances on Wednesday, April 6 for a post- show talk back and demonstration with Basil Twist and several puppeteers. This talk back will be facilitated by Deirdre Loughridge, Ph.D. candidate in Music at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

The University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts has been the region's leading multi-disciplinary performance venue for theatre, dance, jazz, world music, new music and children’s programming since its inception in 1971. The Annenberg Center’s curatorial vision emphasizes four primary values: artistic integrity, cultural diversity, curatorial balance and a willingness to take risks. By presenting world-renowned and cutting edge artists and companies who express adventuresome perspectives on contemporary issues, timeless ideas and diverse cultures, the Annenberg Center promotes critical thinking and dialogue among its audiences, creating a uniquely rewarding arts experience.

The Annenberg Center has achieved national recognition for its outstanding Dance Celebration series (presented in partnership with Philadelphia's Dance Affiliates), touring theatre series, and for its superior offerings for children, including both its Student Discovery Series and the acclaimed 27-year-old

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Basil Twist’s Petrushka at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Page 3 Philadelphia International Children’s Festival, the oldest festival of its kind in the United States. Through a generous grant from The Wallace Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Annenberg Center also showcases its commitment to local artists each year through its By Local series.

Throughout its history, the Annenberg Center has presented innovative and critically-acclaimed theatre productions with some of the biggest stars of stage and screen including Liv Ullmann and Sam Waterston in A Doll's House, A Streetcar Named Desire with Glenn Close, Jessica Tandy in Beckett's Not I, and Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth with Irene Worth and Christopher Walken. University of Pennsylvania alumnus and noteworthy Broadway producer and director Harold Prince staged many of his plays at the Annenberg Center before taking them to Broadway.

CALENDAR EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Basil Twist’s Petrushka

Wednesday, April 6 at 7:30 PM Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 PM Friday, April 8 at 8:00 PM Saturday, April 9 at 12:00 PM* Saturday, April 9 at 4:00 PM* Sunday, April 10 at 2:00 PM Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 PM Wednesday, April 13 at 7:30 PM Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 PM Friday, April 15 at 8:00 PM Saturday, April 16 at 12:00 PM Saturday, April 16 at 4:00 PM

Harold Prince Theatre at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Known the world over for his astonishingly innovative puppet shows, master puppeteer Basil Twist makes his Philadelphia debut with Petrushka and breathes new magic into the legendary 1911 Ballets Russes production. Delight your eyes and ears as puppets fly, dance and float in midair and tell the tale of the tragic love triangle between three magical puppets whose stories emerge amidst the swirl of the Russian carnival. Russian identical twin pianists, Julia and Irina Elkina, perform a special two piano version of Stravinsky’s masterpiece and nine hidden puppeteers combine Czech and Japanese puppetry traditions in a tour-de- force of puppetry technique. It’s a true spectacle of wonder and fantasy perfect for adults and children alike!

This project is supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through Dance Advance. All performances are part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts. *Performance is part of the Philadelphia International Children’s Festival Tickets: $20-$30 (weekday evening, weekend matinee) $25-$35 (weekend evening). For more information please call 215.898.3900 or visit AnnenbergCenter.org.

For further press information or to set up interviews, please contact: Lauren Saul, Marketing and Communications Manager phone: 215.573.8537; email: [email protected] # # #