"Within the flower, upon the green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little maiden. She was scarcely half as long as a thumb."
In his 1835 fairy tale, Hans Christian Andersen introduced this tiny flower girl, Thumbelina. Now, the Oregon Shadow Theatre – with shadow puppeteer Deb Chase and musician and actor Mick Doherty – presents its own rendition of Thumbelina at the Detroit Institute of Arts on Sunday, April 22, 2012.
Going back thousands of years, shadow puppetry is considered one of the oldest forms of puppetry in the world. These puppets used to be flat and made of leather, but now they use paper, plastic and wood to make mesmerizing characters with moving parts that are sometimes 3D. Specialized lighting or other head lamps help to illuminate the art during the performance.
Watch as Thumbelina searches for a home in the land of flora during this special Earth Day presentation.
This performance also infuses '60s and '70s-style music – accompanied by the hammered dulcimer, electric guitar and percussion – into Andersen's famous tale.
The show, which runs 45 to 50 minutes and is suitable for ages 5 and up, is free with museum admission, which is $8 for adults and $4 for ages 6 to 17. As part of the Inside|Out program, Eastpointe and Roseville residents gets in free!
See the Metro Parent listing for more on the Oregon Shadow Theatre's production of Thumbelina at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
