Sophia Michahelles (born c. 1975)[1] is one of the two chief artists and puppeteers of Processional Arts Workshop, makers of pageant puppets and other processional art in upstate New York. She works closely with co-director Alex Kahn. The couple's work, under the informal moniker "Superior Concept Monsters" has been commissioned each year since 1998 to lead New York's Village Halloween Parade,[2] the largest puppet parade and street-pageant of its kind in the United States, drawing two million spectators.
Sophia Michahelles of Processional Arts Workshop designed this incandescent baby phoenix puppet for New York's Village Halloween Parade in 2001, as a response to the attack on the World Trade Center.
Many of the giant rod puppets (or "pageant" puppets) created by Michahelles and Kahn, are lit from the inside, making them suitable for night parades. They are performed by teams of puppeteers. For the 1998 Halloween parade, Michahelles worked with Kahn and his team to build five 20-foot caterpillar puppets (designed by Kahn) which transformed into giant Luna moths. In 2001, as a response to the attack on the World Trade Center, Michahelles herself designed an incandescent baby phoenix puppet for the New York parade, as a symbol of rebirth from the ashes.
Michahelles has also worked in collaboration with master puppeteer Basil Twist. She performed in Twist's Off-Broadway show Symphonie fantastique (1998 and 2004) presented at Dodger Stages. The Obie Award-winning work is a water ballet of 180 puppets choreographed to the five movements of Hector Berlioz's 1830 orchestral work. Unseen during the performance, she and the other five performers "...emerge from behind the scenes for their curtain calls... Each is wearing a wetsuit, looks exhausted, gets naked and is soaked from head to toe," according to theater critic Matthew Murray of TalkinBroadway.com.
Since 2002, Michahelles and Kahn have taught a summer workshop in pageant puppetry and processional art in the mountain village of Morinesio, located in the Italian Alps. They draw on local history as an inspiration for the artistic themes of the puppet creations and folk festivals that are part of the workshop. This process of creating locally derived, site-specific processions has become a central aspect of their work, and in 2005, they formed a non-profit entity, Processional Arts Workshop, to further pursue community-based projects.
Referencesedit
^Green, Penelope (July 21, 2010). "Who Lives There: The House Inherited Them (In an Old Mansion, Creativity and History Meet)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
^O'Grady, Jim; WNYC (2019-10-31). "New York's Village Halloween Parade Begins in a Barn Upstate". Gothamist. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
External linksedit
Processional Arts Workshop
TalkinBroadway.com review of Symphonie fantastique
January 01, 1970
sophia, michahelles, born, 1975, chief, artists, puppeteers, processional, arts, workshop, makers, pageant, puppets, other, processional, upstate, york, works, closely, with, director, alex, kahn, couple, work, under, informal, moniker, superior, concept, mons. Sophia Michahelles born c 1975 1 is one of the two chief artists and puppeteers of Processional Arts Workshop makers of pageant puppets and other processional art in upstate New York She works closely with co director Alex Kahn The couple s work under the informal moniker Superior Concept Monsters has been commissioned each year since 1998 to lead New York s Village Halloween Parade 2 the largest puppet parade and street pageant of its kind in the United States drawing two million spectators Sophia Michahelles of Processional Arts Workshop designed this incandescent baby phoenix puppet for New York s Village Halloween Parade in 2001 as a response to the attack on the World Trade Center Many of the giant rod puppets or pageant puppets created by Michahelles and Kahn are lit from the inside making them suitable for night parades They are performed by teams of puppeteers For the 1998 Halloween parade Michahelles worked with Kahn and his team to build five 20 foot caterpillar puppets designed by Kahn which transformed into giant Luna moths In 2001 as a response to the attack on the World Trade Center Michahelles herself designed an incandescent baby phoenix puppet for the New York parade as a symbol of rebirth from the ashes Michahelles has also worked in collaboration with master puppeteer Basil Twist She performed in Twist s Off Broadway show Symphonie fantastique 1998 and 2004 presented at Dodger Stages The Obie Award winning work is a water ballet of 180 puppets choreographed to the five movements of Hector Berlioz s 1830 orchestral work Unseen during the performance she and the other five performers emerge from behind the scenes for their curtain calls Each is wearing a wetsuit looks exhausted gets naked and is soaked from head to toe according to theater critic Matthew Murray of TalkinBroadway com Since 2002 Michahelles and Kahn have taught a summer workshop in pageant puppetry and processional art in the mountain village of Morinesio located in the Italian Alps They draw on local history as an inspiration for the artistic themes of the puppet creations and folk festivals that are part of the workshop This process of creating locally derived site specific processions has become a central aspect of their work and in 2005 they formed a non profit entity Processional Arts Workshop to further pursue community based projects References edit Green Penelope July 21 2010 Who Lives There The House Inherited Them In an Old Mansion Creativity and History Meet The New York Times Archived from the original on 2014 08 08 Retrieved December 18 2021 O Grady Jim WNYC 2019 10 31 New York s Village Halloween Parade Begins in a Barn Upstate Gothamist Retrieved 2021 09 06 External links editProcessional Arts Workshop TalkinBroadway com review of Symphonie fantastique Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sophia Michahelles amp oldid 1171656981, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
