Deer Face
Mask and Puppet Theater
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Artist-in-Residency Programs
For Schools and Community Groups
Introduction

Our residency program is an intensive, hands-on introduction to Arm-of-the-Sea's distinctive style of making theater. We seek to provide participants with an "insider's experience" of the tremendous power of the arts.

Each residency is organized around a particular theme drawn from art, history, science, literature or social studies. Under the direction of one or more AotS artists, participants work with painting, sculpture, mask making, puppetry, creative writing and music to create the parts of a show. The "artifacts" produced in the residency are combined in rehearsals with characters from the AotS repertoire. The culminating one-of-a-kind performance event is presented to the entire school or community.

Residency programs are generally 5 to 15 days in length and can involve anywhere from 15 to 75 participants. Requirements include a designated workspace where our equipment and materials can remain set-up. Pre-planning is essential. Flexibility in regards to time schedule is also an asset.

In a school setting, our residency programs are effective not only with high achievers but often & most notably with students lagging in academic and language skills. We have conducted very successful residencies with young people from inner city schools, immigrant families, adjudicated institutions and the hearing-impaired.

More Information

For further information on residency programs, including references and possible themes, please contact:

Patrick Wadden, Managing Director, show email address , 845 246-7873


A Complete List of Past Arm-of-the-Sea Artist-in-Residence Programs

Mar 2008   Greenwood Lakes Middle School, Greenwood Lakes, NY  ""Color's Journey""

This residency project will use the works of early 20th century avant-garde painters, writers, and composers---in particular Wassily Kandinsky---as a starting point to understand how artists respond to their historic moment. Students will then work with Arm-of-the-Sea teaching artists to create an original performance event incorporating painting, music, poetry, movement and puppetry

Nov 2007   Oakwood Friends School, Poughkeepsie, NY  

This four day residency involves a workshop production of The Great Tablecloth with middle and high school students. The piece was first created in 1988 and inspired by a poem by Pablo Neruda. Student will create vignettes for the show and present it to their school community.

Mar 2007   NY School for the Deaf, White Plains, NY  



Feb 2007   Saratoga Springs, NY  "Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs"

"Thinking Like a Watershed" -a week long arts & ecology residency with high school students.The project culminates Friday March 2 at the Music Hall in Saratoga Springs with an evening performance by the students followed by a public forum about local water issues.

Dec 2006   Muddy Brook Elem., Great Barrington, MA  "American Indian Stories from the Northeast"

Each of the four sections of third graders took a story and created a puppet play. Stories included: "Nanbush and the Ducks", "How the People got Fire", "Turtle Island", and "Skunny Wundy & The Stone Giant".

Nov 2006   Clinton School, Poughkeepsie, NY  "Celebration of Lights Parade"

A five day project creating giant processional figures for Poughkeepsie's Celebration of Lights Parade. Unfortunately a storm caused the parade to be cancelled.

Sep 2006   St. Patrick's Academy, Catskill, NY  "Rip Van Winkle Revisited"

A new take on Irving's classic tale.
Students created some of the visuals and then rehearsed and presented a free public performance.

May 2006   Three schools in the Adirondack Park, Wells, Lake Pleasant & Piseco, NY  "Seasons of the Wild"

In a project exploring the meaning of "The Wild" , students at three schools in NY's "Forever Wild" Adirondack Park region created animal masks including deer, beaver and trout & then worked together to present a large-scale performance event for the community. Made possible by a grant from the Adirondack Arts in Education Partnership

Nov 2005   Clinton School, Poughkeepsie, NY  "Festival of Lights"

Arm-of-the-sea artists worked with students to create lanterns and processional figures for Poughkeepsie's annual Festival of Lights parade held on Frday, Dec 1, sponsored by the Bardavon Opera House and the City of Poughkeepsie

Jul 2005   Rural and Migrant Ministry summer camp, Newburgh, NY  ""The Joy & Justice of Eating""

Youth from migrant worker families created two shows, presented in Spanish and English. One of the shows was a workshop version of what later became Arm of the Sea's touring production "La Cosecha / The Harvest"

Jun 2005   New York School for the Deaf, White Plains, NY  ""America as a Cultural Mosaic""

A study of culture and pattern with middle school students, and the creation of a large mosaic installation.

May 2005   Kingston High School, Kingston, NY  ""Our Block""

A project based on differentiated learning models. Patrick Wadden worked with art students on paintings and shadow screens for a performance about a Kingston neighborhood.

Apr 2005   Springhurst Elem. School, Dobbs Ferry, NY  "" The Spanish Conquest of Mexico""

5th grade students creating a “toy theatre” production telling the story of invasion of Mexico by the Spanish. The two-dimensional pupper figures were based on Aztec manuscripts and drawings from before and after the Spanish invasion.

Jan 2005   Clinton & Smith Schools, Poughkeepsie, NY  ""Tale of Two Tribes""

An extended residency focused on conflict and resolution. Created a full-stage production, which was presented by over one hundred students at the Bardavon Opera House, a regional performing arts center.

Aug 2004   Rocking the Boat, Bronx, NY  "" Bronx River Rhapsody""

Inner city teens participating in an outdoor rowing and water monitoring program created a show about their experiences on the Bronx River and presented it in Spanish & English to their community. This was part of AotS's "Thinking Like a Watershed" arts & ecology workshop, funded in part by a grant from the US EPA.

Jul 2004   Rural & Migrant Ministry summer camp, Newburgh, NY  ""One River, Many Streams""

A two week artist residency with young people from migrant farmworker families. Created a journey tale about immigrants in a new land. Sponsored by Rural & Migrant Ministry

Jul 2004   Peace Camp, Poughkeepsie, NY  ""Thinking Like a Watershed""

Middle school students in Poughkeepsie participated in a summer arts & ecology workshop tracing teh pathways of water through the urban landscape. The project included a field trip to the municipal water treatment plant.

May 2004   Marbletown Elementary School, Stone Ridge, NY  ""Thinking Like a Watershed""

Students created a performance based on their study of the Rondout Creek watershed.

Mar 2004   Greenville High School, Greenville, NY  "“Quetzalcoatl’s Children”"

Created a giant puppet figure of Quetzalcoatl, the mythic feathered serpent of ancient Mexico with High School sculpture class. Then put together a performance with students based on legends and history of Mexico

Dec 2003   Clinton School, Poughkeepsie, NY  "Night, Light, Sight"

Exploring the physics of light and the physiology of sight with inner-city fourth graders to create large "strolling street paintings" for Poughkeepsie's Festival of Lights procession. This was the fourth AotS residency in Poughkeepsie City schools facilitated by the Bardavon Opera House.

Sep 2003   Woodstock Elementary, Woodstock, NY  "Spin Cycle Circus"

Theme of change. Students created eighteen giant round paintings that were wheeled on stage to tell the universe story and evolution of life on earth.

Aug 2003   Rural & Migrant Ministry Day Camp, Newburgh, NY  ""Yo Soy / I Am""

Residency for young people & teens from farmworker families. All participants created stunning large-scale self portraits. The culminating performance was presented in Spanish & English a church hall. It drew from the ancient Mayan Popol Vuh story in which the Lords of Death are outwitted by a pair of quick-thinking hero-twins, as well as contemporary immigrant experience.

Jul 2003   Free Spirit Nature Camp, Westown, NY  "Tonkamoose Watershed Homecoming"

Participants helped create coyote, deer & beaver masks together with giant totemic puppet figure for culminating pageant, which was performed in a hay barn.

Jun 2003   Zena School, Woodstock, NY  "Thinking Like a Watershed"

A 10-day project with fifth graders exploring the natural & social history of the Sawkill Creek, which flows past the school. Funded by the Catskill Watershed Corporation.

May 2003   Rondout Middle School, Accord,NY  "Everyman"

Middle school students rehearsed a puppet version of the medieval morality play "Everyman" and presented it as part of a Middle Ages fair.

Mar 2003   Marbletown School, Stone Ridge  "Coming to America"



Jan 2003   NY School for the Deaf, New York, NY  "Coming to America"

After studying the work of Romare Bearden, Ralph Fassanella and Jacob Lawrence, hearing-impaired students created collages and puppet images to tell a story of immigration, past & present.

Dec 2002   Clinton School, Poughkeepsie, NY  "Festival of Lights"



May 2002   Hutchinson Elementary, Pelham, NY  "To See the Sea"



May 2002   Marbletown School, Stone Ridge  "Song of India"

An introduction to Indian culture and history. Students made paper collages of elephants & other puppet figures. The performance told the story of the non-violent resistance movement that eventually freed India from British rule.

Mar 2002   Lenape School, New Paltz, NY  "All My Relations"

Native American theme and celebration of the seasons. Third grade students helped create a ten foot turtle puppet, animal masks and individual shadow puppet figures. Performance opened with enactment of Turtle island creation story of the Lenape Indians.

Jan 2002   NY School for the Deaf, White Plains, NY  "A Dream of Earth"

Earth science-based residency with hearing impaired middle school students. They created four dozen paintings and masks. Performance focused on geologic change, fossil fuel consumption and climate change.

Nov 2001   WW Smith School, Poughkeepsie, NY  "Festival of Lights"

Focus on ancient cave paintings. Students created two-dozen lanterns and a 12' high Tree of Life puppet figure for Poughkeepsie's annual community procession and tree lighting ceremony.

Aug 2001   Creek Festival Puppet Suite, Saugerties, NY  "The Esopus Creek Puppet Suite"



Aug 2001   Berkshire Farm Center For Youth, Caanan, NY  "Color's Journey"

Adjudicated teenage boys created dozens of giant, complexly-painted cardboard puppet figures and enacted a journey tale about the search for wholeness and self respect to an audience of their peers and then at a public arts venue.

Jun 2001   Woodstock Day School, Woodstock, NY  "Energy & Estuary"



May 2001   Marbletown School, Stone Ridge, NY  "West African Arts Journey"



May 2001   Rondout Valley Middle School, Accord, NY  "Athena"



Mar 2001   Lenape School, New Paltz  "The One You Don't See Coming"



Nov 2000   Krieger School, Poughkeepsie, NY  "Festival of Lights"



Mar 2000   Lenape School, New Paltz, NY  "A Hudson Bioregion Celebration"



Jan 2000   King Magnet School, Schenectady, NY  "Sun - Seed - Civilization"

An exploration into the roots of agriculture and the beginnings of cities. Fifth grade students used "x-ray" vision to paint the inner workings of plants. They also ground wheat into flour and baked bread for the audience. The third AotS residency at King School funded by the NY Foundation for the Arts.

Sep 1999   Saugerties Historical Society, Saugerties, NY  "Rip Van Winkle's Dream."



Jan 1999   King Magnet School, Schenectady, NY  "Thinking Like a Watershed"



Dec 1998   Jewish Community Center, Poughkeepsie, NY  "A Hanukkah Light & Shadow Play"



Nov 1998   Wappingers Junior Hi, Wappingers Falls, NY  "Thinking Like a Watershed"



Aug 1998   Berkshire Farm Center For Youth, Canaan, NY  "Color's Journey"



Jul 1998   Dutchess Arts Camp, Poughkeepsie, NY  "The Bear"



Jun 1998   Siwanoy School, Pelham, NY  "Rise & Shine"



Dec 1997   M.L.King Magnet School, Schenectady, NY  "The Hudson River Estuary"



Aug 1997   Dutchess Arts Camp, Poughkeepsie, NY  "Waking up Big Eyes"



Jul 1997   Glinodo Center, Harbor Creek, PA  "Waking up Big Eyes"



Jan 1996   M.L.King Magnet School, Schenectady, NY  "The New Leaf"



Jan 1994   Fostertown Magnet School, Newburgh, NY  "Song of Myself"



Feb 1993   LaGrange School, LaGrangeville, NY  "Dreambones"



Jan 1993   Fostertown Arts Magnet School, Newburgh, NY  "Dreambones"



Jan 1992   Fostertown Arts Magnet School, Newburgh, NY  "Rise & Shine"



Jul 1990   NY State Art Park, Lewiston, N  "The Poetry of Papier Mache"



May 1990   Rondout Community Center, Kingston, NY  "Youth Arts Uprising"



May 1986   Oakwood School, Poughkeepsie, NY  "Give Us This Day"



Jan 1985   St. Teresa's College, Winona MN  "Give Us This Day"





Arm-of-the-Sea Theater • show email address • 845 246-7873
Artwork by Marlena Marallo Photos by Fred De Van,  Roy Gumpel,  and other photographers Site developed by Mark Bernard