Puppetry Workshops
abandoned ships
Milissa Orzolek, aka abandoned ships, creates projects large and small that explore ideas of belonging, care and coexistence. As a writer, director, human geographer, teaching artist, builder, clown, paper artist, printmaker and performer, she fell into the world of puppetry in 2010 through a production of Fantastic Mr. Fox in New Orleans. She has worked on large-scale puppets for Wayne White and Cirque Du Soleil and puppeteered in Dreaming (2019, 2021) by Torry Bend and Weight of Air (2020) and Under the Snow (2023) by Detroit Puppet Company. As abandoned ships, she has created and performed her own work in cities across the country including La MaMa Puppet Slam (2018, 2021) in New York, Radicackalacky Puppet Convergence (2019) in North Carolina, the Detroit Puppet Slam (2022) and the New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival (2023, 2024). In 2023, she was an Emerging Artist at the National Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and an Artist-in-Residence at the Lìzé Puppet Art Colony in Taiwan. In 2024, abandoned ships received a MAP Fund Grant to support the development of "how to read a storm".
object theatre workshop led by
abandoned ships
Friday, April 4th CANOA 1-4pm
CANOA, 4210 St. Claude Ave
https://www.milissaorzolek.com/
Delve into the world of object theatre through a series of games and exercises geared to help us understand the stories that are hidden away in everyday objects. We will consider the object itself (form, function, material) to discover what meanings it brings to the stage. We will learn how to work collaboratively to develop impromptu storylines as well as individually to explore our individual relationships with particular objects. Emphasis will be placed on play and possibility.
3 hours Ages 16 and up
Advanced tickets required as space is limited to 10 and the workshop requires a minimum of 6 participants.
Participants will receive an email 24 hours in advance with a list of suggested objects to bring.
ensemble movement workshop led by
abandoned ships
Saturday, April 5th 1-4pm
CANOA, 4210 St. Claude Ave
https://www.milissaorzolek.com/
In this workshop, we will explore the idea of movement with and within a group. We will learn the explore the difference between leading and following and try to discover a balance between the two. Emphasis will be placed on games and improvisation. We will end the workshop by creating short scenes with three-person brown paper puppets.
3 hours Ages 14 and up
Advanced tickets required as space is limited to 12 and the workshop requires a minimum of 6 participants.
Participants will receive a confirmation email 24 hours in advance.
flashlights & shadows workshop led by
abandoned ships
Sunday, April 6th 3-5pm
CANOA, 4210 St. Claude Ave
https://www.milissaorzolek.com/
Come explore how flashlights can transform shadow puppetry into a more cinematic experience. We'll play with depth, fades, focus and technique. Bring your favorite single point LED flashlight and shadow puppets. We will also have materials to build quick shadow puppets, some pre-made puppets and a couple of flashlights to share. (Your own flashlight is not required.) We will end the workshop by working in small groups to create and share short shadow vignettes.
2 hours Ages 14 and up
Advanced tickets required as space is limited to 15 and the workshop requires a minimum of 5 participants.
Participants will receive a confirmation email 24 hours in advance.