FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

26 July 2006

 

CONTACT:

Christine Arnison

(513) 921-5965

madcapmd@fuse.net

 

 

 

MADCAP PUPPET THEATRE NAMES

JOHN LEWANDOWSKI ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

 

Dylan Shelton joins artistic team as Creative Director

 

 

CINCINNATI, Ohio, 26 July 2006—Lori Jeffries, President of the Board of Trustees, announced today the appointment of John Lewandowski as Artistic Director of Madcap Productions Puppet Theatre, the nation’s largest touring giant puppet company. Lewandowski assumes his position as artistic leader of Madcap effective August 1, 2006.

 

Highly respected and known throughout the U.S. and Europe, where he has worked for the past 17 years, Lewandowski’s formidable experience in puppet theatre is enhanced by talents in music performance and composition, innovative productions, directing and teaching.

 

“The appointment of John Lewandowski follows an extensive national search”, noted Jeffries, a partner with Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP. “John has earned high praise from the many artistic organizations with which he has worked, both in the U.S. and Europe. He is respected for his vision and innovation, his leadership and collaborative approach, and his ability to inspire and motivate audiences, artists, staff and volunteers.”

 

Lewandowski succeeds Jerry Handorf who led the company since its founding 25 years ago until his death in July 2005. “Jerry built a one-of-a-kind children’s puppet theatre with a national reputation for originality, awesome puppets, professionalism and artistic excellence,” said Betsy Neyer, chair of Madcap’s Search Committee, and past president. “John’s depth and range of talent and experience are well-suited to Madcap’s current and future artistic needs.” Search Committee member John Geraghty agrees saying, “John’s reputation as a visionary and creative artist, combined with exceptional leadership ability comes at an exciting time in Madcap’s evolution. We are confident John is the right artistic leader to help us build on our tradition of success and expand on Madcap’s tremendous potential moving forward.”

 

For the past twelve years Lewandowski was Artistic Director of Le Theatre des Marionnettes de Geneve in Switzerland, a repertory theater founded in 1929 and dedicated to producing high quality theater for young audiences.

 

In the U.S., Lewandowski’s innovative work with the Underground Railway Theater created performances that brought together actors, puppets and musicians on stage with the Boston Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and many other major orchestras. Of Lewandowski’s collaboration with the Boston Symphony on Stravinsky’s Firebird, Conductor Harry Ellis Dickson noted "Everyone who attended the concert, including Seiji Ozawa, was extremely impressed...[the] puppets are magnificent."
John’s work has twice received the citation of excellence from UNIMA (Union International de la Marionnette).

 

John is a recognized specialist in several forms of Puppet Theater and has developed professional training programs for performers throughout Europe, as well as residencies in universities and workshops for teachers and children. He has worked as a director, composer or performer at Theatre des Marionnette de Geneve, Underground Railway Theatre in Boston, Tandarica in Romania, Riksteatret in Oslo, Hordaland Teatret in Bergen, Agder Teatret in Kristiansand, as well as the Public Theater in New York, where he worked with Julie Taymor. John’s mask and puppet workshops have been given at training institutions and theaters such as I’Instituto de Actor in Seville, the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center and Harvard University.

 

To further his work in promoting arts collaborations, John also developed international cultural exchange projects and co-productions between major theaters in Romania (Tandarica), the Czech Republic (Drac, Academy of Performing Arts DAMU Prague), France (L’Ecole Superieure Nationale des Arte de la Marionnette), Taiwan, Switzerland and Norway (Riksteatret, Agder Teatret, Hordeland Teatret). “At all the Norwegian theaters where John Lewandowski has worked, he has made a lasting impression and a strong contribution to their development,” says Gudrun Waadeland, former general manager and artistic director of The National Theatre-Center of Norway, “he is a very knowledgeable and gifted person.”

 

According to Lewandowski, Madcap offers the opportunity to use his talents and experience to further the art of puppetry in the United States. “Madcap is already a well-established and respected company with amazing potential for years to come,” he says. I’m thrilled to be part of a team of such gifted and dedicated professionals.”

 

“It is a tribute to Jerry’s talents and achievements that we are able to welcome someone of John Lewandowski’s stature as the artistic leader of Madcap”, said Christine Arnison, Managing Director. “John’s extensive experience and impressive accomplishments in so many diverse areas are ideal for Madcap; I look forward to working with him!”

 

Dylan Shelton Named Creative Director

Working closely with John Lewandowski in this key new position of Creative Director, Shelton’s many talents will continue to be evident in Madcap’s writing, set and puppet design and construction, graphics, performing and directing. Serving as interim artistic director, Shelton guided Madcap through its past season as Jerry Handorf had outlined it, often finishing partial scripts and writing new material for added productions. His association with Madcap and with Handorf has given him first-hand, working knowledge of the vision and spirit of Madcap.

 

“I am so proud of what the Madcap team has accomplished during this emotional and transitional year,” said Arnison. “Going forward with our brilliant team in place we will continue the Madcap spirit in the next phase of original and unique artistic adventures—a whole new level of WOW!”

 

 

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For a quarter century Madcap Puppets has toured the country with four to six troupes bringing original giant puppet performances to schools, libraries, theaters and large audience venues across the country. Last season Madcap’s audiences exceeded 500,000 nationwide. In the Greater Cincinnati Area audiences of more than 130,000 see Madcap performances at the Cincinnati Art Museum (now in our 12^th Season), the Carnegie Visual + Performing Arts Center, the Mason Community Center Theater, the Cincinnati Zoo, Coney Island, libraries, theaters and schools. This year’s productions, as always, will include the highly popular annual holiday production, always done in Czechoslovakian Black theatre style of puppetry. For 2006/2007 Season information, see our website: www.madcappuppets.com.