Classics in Miniature is a puppet film series by Steven Ritz-Barr. These films are available for purchase from our website, but we offer live programs involving a film's screening and a lecture/demo. The talks can be around either the making of the film or the literary content, for example "Faust Goethe and Puppets-- what they have in common." These programs are geared toward adults usually within a University setting, although they can be presented to any group.
Faust
Duration:
25
minute film screening with 30 to 90 minute content
lecture with puppets
Audience:
Adults
and others over 12
Audience
Size:
250
or more
Puppet
Style:
Marionnettes
Language:
Wordless
Stage
Size:
Any
size, as long as the screen is large enough.
Personel:
1
Description:
A wordless
marionette film,the Faust interpretation based on
Goethe's Part One explores an old man's obsession
with power. He makes a deal with the devil's servant,
Mephisto, in order to obtain more power, more glory,
and more ability to seduce a young maiden. What follows
is Gretchen's demise as well as Faust's ticket to
Hell...but wait, he does show his love for her goes
beyond his love for himself and a redemption ensues.
QUIXOTE
Duration:
30 minute film with 30 to 90 min lecture/demo on the film's creation and literary adaptation
Audience:
Adults and others over 12
Audience
Size:
250 or more
Puppet
Style:
Marionnettes
Language:
Wordless
Stage
Size:
Any size, as long as the screen is large enough.
Personel:
1
Description:
In
a second worldess marionette film, Michael York voices
the character of Cervantes' Don
Quixote, who rides
again across southern Spain looking for "this
thing they call adventure". This humorous yet
adult film centers around Quixote's obsession with
chivalry. He becomes a noble Knight to himself, but
for others he just becomes a clown who is sadly out
of place in the realistic world around him. He charges
windmills thinking they are giants, attacks sheep
thinking they are an army, and attacks puppets thinking
they are real people. In the end, he recognizes his
folly and returns home.
