The Long Christmas Ride Home

Sarah St. Laurent, a Saint Mary’s University theatre major, paints the face of Rebecca, a Japanese Bunraku-inspired puppet Monday at SMU’s Page Theatre. The puppets will be used in "The Long Christmas Ride Home, directed by St. Laurent. (photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News) See the Winona Daily News story.

by Paula Vogel; Directed by Sarah St. Laurent
Puppet Design by Preston Lawing, MFA
St. Mary’s University Department of Theatre Arts

St. Mary’s University Department of Theater Arts presents Paula Vogel’s The Long Christmas Ride Home this weekend at Valéncia Arts Center in Winona. American playwright Paula Vogel is best known for her Pulitzer winning play How I Learned to Drive. How I Learned to Drive uses learning to drive as a metaphor for a girl overcoming an incestuous relationship with her uncle. Vogel often deals with controversial and uncomfortable subjects but seems to do it in a way that engages audiences rather than overwhelms them.

In The Long Christmas Ride Home, Vogel includes puppets based on traditional Japanese bunraku puppets. These puppets usually require 2 or three actors to manipulate the puppets. The puppets for the St. Mary’s Production are designed by Preston Lawing of St. Mary’s Art Department.

The Long Christmas Ride Home runs February 26 - March 2
Thur., Fri., Sat., Mon. shows at 7:30 pm, Sun. at 3 pm
Academy Theatre, Valencia Arts Center
1164 W. 10th, Winona.

Visit the Page Theatre web site for schedule and ticket information.

New York Times Image from Disfarmer (Photo: Richard Termine)

Bunraku puppet on Broadway.

View a New York Times review of Dan Hurlin’s play Disfarmer which stars a bunraku puppet playing the role of photographer Mike Disfarmer. Included with the review are several still photos and a 6 minute flash video of the puppet and the puppeteers in action.

View the New York Times Review of Disfarmer