What happens when papier-mache and particle accelerators collide? You get the latest show from the RPM Puppet Conspiracy.
Called “Standard Model,” the sci-fi performance by the traveling company (without a home base) comes to Local Sprouts Cooperative Cafe at 7 p.m. Saturday.
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The tabletop show features a cast of about 10 papier-mache puppets under the direction of David Bailey, 34, and Angela DiVeglia, 28.
It’s billed as a “moving exploration of friendship, intergalactic warfare and the incredible longevity of shelf-stable baked goods.”
A good dose of adventure and laser beams are thrown into the mix, too.
“The main character wants to save the universe in the face of annihilation,” DiVeglia said.
This lead character has yet to be named, and goes by the moniker of “bumbling protagonist.”
According to Bailey, the show also highlights “the power of knowledge and what we can do with it, both good and evil.”
This quirky duo is on the first leg of a “Standard Model” tour that will take them across New England, down the East Coast and out to the Midwest through the end of June. The Portland show is the third stop on the tour.
The company formed in 1999 when Bailey, a carpenter by day, was tapped to lend a hand at the International Puppet Festival in Chicago.
As he helped the artists repair their sets, they taught him how to create puppets from papier-mache.
Since then, RPM Puppet Conspiracy has mounted shows “on topics such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas, composting human feces, dominion theology, and how to rid oneself of oppressors and prepare them for a feast.”
The company’s previous show explored the similarities between corporate America and zombies.
Clearly, there is an element of humor running through all the performances.
Bailey and DiVeglia create the sets and puppets using discarded materials.
In addition, both create a variety of small, inexpensive artworks that they sell at the shows.
The Portland performance will run for roughly 30 minutes.
“We definitely wrote it with adults in mind,” DiVeglia said. “It’s not inappropriate for kids, but some of it may be over their heads.”
Bailey and DiVeglia don’t want to reveal much about the performance’s story line, but DiVeglia said, “I’m hoping this will really give people a sense of friendship and a sense that science is awesome.”
Staff Writer Avery Yale Kamila can be contacted at 791-6297 or at:
akamila@pressherald.com
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