Tag: Political theatre

“I don’t think it’s scary at all.” Aneena’s Parent Trap-inspired piece is about two kids from broken families who use aerial acrobatics to try to help their parents reconnect during the holiday season. Wise Fool, founded in Santa Fe almost 20 years ago as both a performing arts and social justice advocacy organization, combines clowning and circus artistry with storytelling in its popular productions, some of which have become holiday traditions — such as the Circus Luminous show held at the Lensic Performing Arts Center each year on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Shows often address political and social issues, said artistic director Amy Christian and board member Kate Marco. Michelle Sisneros, the mother of two Nava Elementary School students, ages 4 and 6, was infuriated by the show’s political messaging about immigration, LGBTQ rights and other topics. Marco agreed that the Circus Luminous production spotlighted issues that youngsters might not understand. “It was a show that shone a light on current issues — the Black Lives Matter movement, the Me Too movement, gender rights, gun violence, love,” Marco said. “Our job is making them feel. And if you make them feel something — anything — then you’ve done your job.” Wise Fool New Mexico evolved out of the California-based Wise Fool Puppet Intervention troupe, which began around 1990 and used giant puppets, masks, stilt walking, fire performances, songs and colorful costumes to draw attention to community and global social justice issues. Wise Fool New Mexico, which employs 15 teaching artists and five administrators, and operates on an annual budget of about $450,000, has since developed a school program and studio workshops for children and adults. “We want to create a brave place where kids and adults can shine in life as well as on the stage,” she said.

On Roll Call’s Political Theater Podcast, you won’t always get what you want. But you’ll never be bored. We hope. With that in mind, here are a few of our favorite podcasts from the year that was, which just happened to be our first. Houstonian and political reporter Alex Roarty and Inside Elections’ Leah Askarinam on the Texas Senate race, Lone Star demographics and whether being a Whataburger partisan helped Beto O’Rourke against his White Castle-loving-opponent Ted Cruz. If you worked on Capitol Hill for any length of time, you probably have a John McCain story. “RBG” filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen discussing their documentary and its subject, the Supreme Court justice who became an unlikely pop culture icon, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. When is it funny and when does it bomb? We did 49 episodes of Political Theater this year, and there was no way to capture them all in a year-end wrap-up. You can find all of our podcasts on our Political Theater page on RollCall.com and by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.