abandonedships CONTACT -N{ilissa C)rzolek 1829 Colun.rbus Street Ncrv Orleans Ld 70116 rJ1.1.883.1125 rnilss:[email protected]m issaorzolek.rveeblr'.con.t PAST 4 GRANTS AWARDED NA F-1 Proiect BudEet $'1,655 Giant Request $3,000 501(c)(3): Black Fore:t I dnLte: Llhat I{eeps Us V.hdt K/'l.fillt is ^bant a gient $itch \\'ho toams around a torvn and thc townspeople thal tt\ to figure het out. Thc shorv combiles audienccperticipation, glant cardboard puppers, abstract txble top PuPPets ^n.t shedo$ puPpetsto cxplore ideasofhome, alicnation and betongrng. VIDEO SAMPLE 'litle: Vhdl K(tPi LIr tr 6"6. I)ircctors, Puppeteet, Cteator: N{ilissa Orzolek; luppetects: C:iolda Blais e, Jeff l} oston, Saralltsberg, l.ibbv Hcndon, I,iim I{uclrenbcckcr Description:,\ugust f3, 21.)1,{ The vidco is a compnailon ofclips fronl (,ur trvorvorkshopped petfotmanccs. The cliPs lnclude: the mcntalnup {'orkshop,the giant $itch puppct, table top puppets and shadoN pupper+ FAMILY
a gient $itch \\'ho toams around a torvn and thc townspeople thal tt\ to figure het out. Thc
shorv combiles audiencc perticipation, glant cardboard puppers, abstract txble top PuPPets ̂n.t shedo$ puPpets to
cxplore ideas ofhome, alicnation and betongrng.
VIDEO SAMPLE
'litle: Vhdl K(tPi LIr
tr 6"6. I)ircctors, Puppeteet, Cteator: N{ilissa Orzolek; luppetects: C:iolda Blais e, Jeff l} oston, Sara lltsberg,l.ibbv Hcndon, I,iim I{uclrenbcckcr
Description:,\ugust f3, 21.)1,{The vidco is a compnailon ofclips fronl (,ur trvo rvorkshopped petfotmanccs. The cliPs lnclude:the mcntal nup {'orkshop, the giant $itch puppct, table top puppets and shadoN pupper+
FAMILY
Milissa Olzolek what Keeps UsOne page project description
W?dt tre€pr Lr.! is a puppet show that conlbines audience pxrticipalion, giant cardboard plrppets, abstmct tabletop puppets xnd shadow puppets to cxplore ideas of home, alienntioD and belonging. Thc show birgins as amcntal map workshop. As they come into the space, the audience "checks in" at the registmtion table. wherethey reccivc name tags and their workshop mrterixls. The space wiLl havc scaling for lhiny-five with a Iond,painied on the lloor around thc chairs. between the patilripants and the slage. Once all thc workshop attendeesfind a seat, I lead them in a menlal nlap exercise where everyone draws theif home and thc most importanceplaces in theif homelown. Al the cnd ofthis approximately ten minute exercise, I esk lor volunteers to come tothc front and talk about lheir maps.
The narrator is plaDted in the :rudience end the puppet show begins when she comes to the front to shere thenrental lnap of her neighborhood. As she approaches the front, the lighls dinl and the shadow puppet of tlenarator s mep appears on a Sianl shadow screen. As the narfator begins to describe her neighborhood, theshadow screen moves to reveal a two pa puppet stage with the naffatot in puppet fbfm, on the iiont slagc. Thegiant witch. seen only from the shoes to her knees, walks across thc back stage behind cardboard props th:ridepicl diflerent parts oftown, such as residential houses, downtown buildings and thc forcst. The musicians playthe wjtch's thenie whenever she conles on stagc. A single puppeteer behind the stage scrin operates thc glantwitch 1eg5 ftom a raised platlbrln.
All the table top puppets are abslract and made from folded cloth. Each one is nanipulrtcd dircctly by apuppeteer. Thc narrator puppct is wearing the same clothes as the human narmtor, but all olher trble top puppetsare solid colors rcprcscnting diffcrenl men ers of the communityr yellow kids, blue police, rcd lirelighls, grcengarbage collectors. All the townspeople are curious as to why the witch is walking around thcir town and attempt10 solve thc mystcry of hcr cxistence. The garbage collectors beljeve that she is searching for her brcom andbegin collecling materials to crcrtc giant brooms. which they then set in strategic locations iuound the town.
Shrdow puppets arc incoryorated throughout the show to demonstate both the townspeople's unilying, ye1 lulileattempts to [bl]ow the witch and the authoritics disregard for the witch's appeamnces in town. At one point, agiant cardboard truck drives iD from offstage, nlong the rcad on the floor, and parks in front ofthe alrdience sothat thc whoLc audicncejoins in the search for the $,itch by looking for her through the truck'swindshield/shadow screcn. AIL shadows are projected using flashlights.
The wilch is looking for hcr faniliar, a cat. without lvhom she cannot perfofm magic. when the wiich finallyfinds her crt. "magic" cnters the stage and then exits with the witch returning to nornral si7.e. Only then. \\,ith hercat by her side, does the witch st?Lt to notice the broonslicks around lown. However, the townspcople don'trecognize the witch at normal size. Everyone becomes a bit irriteble, as the one thing that uniled the town, thcmystcry ofthc witch, has seemingly deserted them. The narrator still beljeves the witch will retufn, but also doesnot rccogni2e tbe nomlal-sized wilch, who waits for the nanator on thc front stcps of hcr house one evening,Foflorn and disappointed, the witch decides to walk away, leaving the town and hcr familiar bchind.
Thcrc will bc a cast of six puppctccrs. onc narrator. and two musicians. Wc will also havc a lighting operator.sound opcrator and a workshop assistant. For lhe workshopped version ofthis show in Shrcveporl, Louisiana, allthe puppets and pfops were created ffo,n fabric and cardboard. Those same materials will be utilized for thepuppels and props that Deed to be tweaked or redesigned. Eight shows in April 2016 will lakc place in alvarehouse in the Marigny/Bywater/St. Roch./Uppcr 9rh Ward ofNcw Orlcans. This arer of the city traditionallyhosts lhe New Orleans Fringe Feslival and has a history ofexpeimental theatre. These neighborlroods also haveconlinually changcd since Huricane Kat na in terms o' their racixl and economic make-up. I hope thatrudiences that see llr?da r(ee?s Ilr will come away thinking about what it means to belong to a panicular pLaceand how important it is to rccognize the value ofcvcryonc that forms a communily.
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Milissa Orzolek - What Keeps UsArtist Bio
Born in Salisbury, Nilaryland and raised ln central Pennsylvania, Mil issa Orzolek is a puppeteer,
educator, storyteller and multi-disciplinary collaborator. Her academic studies in Geography greatly
influences her belief that all places are created by the shared experiences of those living there;
therefore, in order to understand this world we live in, we must l isten to the stories that are wa ting to
be told. Nil i l jssa has over a decade of teaching experience, in both formal and informal settings. She
has taught students lrom kindergarten to adulthood eveMhing from bike mechanics to wheel-thrown
pottery. She began puppeteering in 2010 for Hi-Yah's production of Fanfastlc Mr. Fox al lhe
Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. Following the close of thal show, lvl i l issa began
puppeteering with the Mudlark Puppeteers forthe New Orleans Fringe Festival (2011-2013), the New
Orleans Giant Puppet Festival (2013, 2015) and for shows at their home base, the l\,4udlark Public
Theatre. She has also puppeteered in the New Orleans Giant Puppet Festivalwith Sweet Gum Bog
Puppeteers (2012) and Skookum HeeBee Tumtum Productions (2013). Inthesummerof20l3,she
lounded her own puppet troupe, abandoned ships, which consists ol Mil issa and a rotating cast ot
talented puppeteers. As abandoned ships, she has created original puppet shows ln collaboration with
local musicians James Partridge and The Swamp Lil ies. In early 2015, she collaborated with the band
Hestjna to create a shadow puppet music video ior their song "Belong". In addition, abandoned ships
has performed original works at local arts spaces and educational venues including the New Orleans
I\,4useum of Art and the Allways Lounge. l\,4ilissa attended the National Puppetry Conference for the
first time this year and created a padicipant piece titled The State Ol. CunenIly, abandoned ships is
developing a short puppet piece about longing and miscommunication to debut Fall 2015.
