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We seek to create the ancient alchemy of live performance, through which thoughts and images under the surface of culture are given voice and form. We are a theater of connection -- to our audience, to our bodies, to the imagination. Our work is physical and image rich, exploring timeless themes that stir the human spirit. We work with a broad palette, combining character, movement, music, sculpture and story. We invite an audience of individuals, families and communities who are looking for awe, challenge and inspiration. |
"El Dorado is the consummate theatre experience." Regional News, Victoria "...a feast for the eyes and the mind, a magical history tour... a show that crackles with originality." Victoria Times-Colonist "El Dorado is delight indeed." San Francisco Examiner 1993 Critic's Award "BEST SHOW" - Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival 1994 Critic's Award "BEST SHOW" - Edmonton & Victoria Fringe Festival EL DORADO focuses on the Spanish Conquistadors' quest for the legendary "Kingdom of Gold" in the Americas. In the play, a clutch of buffoons direct their unbridled energies into a revisitation of this quest, searching ruthlessly for the city of El Dorado, its secrets and treasures. An original work, EL DORADO was created by UMO in the style of European "Buffoon Theatre." Buffoons are fantastical, irreverent creatures, derived from the outcasts of medieval society. Much like the traditional court jester, buffoons play at humanity, mocking our follies, casting knowing glances at our obsession with power. With EL DORADO, UMO Ensemble brings this highly engaging, acrobatic and colorful form of theatre to North America. Through the dark humor, live music, stylized text and fantastical images of Buffoon Theatre, UMO Ensemble's EL DORADO reveals the spirit of conquest and domination that has flavored the European settling of the Americas for five centuries. |
 THE FOOL'S FOOTSTEPS TO ENLIGHTENMENT
"...an inspired evening of theater,... delivered with power, passion and high good humor." -Seattle Times "...brilliant staging and wonderfully invested acting... Caravan of Dreams is a reminder why theater has a power no other medium can touch." -Seattle Weekly Inspired from the book "Siddhartha," Herman Hesse's poetic telling of the life of the Buddha, CARAVAN OF DREAMS presents a story of the human struggle to reach enlightenment and transforms it into an image rich explosion of music, rhythm and physical theatricality. CARAVAN OF DREAMS is told in the world of a troupe of sacred clowns called "Djool." Acrobats, musicians, storytellers and travelers, the Djool are imbued with a sense of freedom and timelessness. Part human and part mystical beings, they serve as caretakers of the sacred stories. As they practice their singing, acrobatics, trapeze and percussion, the Djool weave an intensely rhythmic energy that propels them into the realm of character and story. There, through asceticism, physical love, materialism, despair, and ultimately the unity of all life, they unveil and learn from the lessons of the soul. CARAVAN OF DRAMS turns the story of one man's remarkable spiritual path into a timeless tale of humanity's spiritual yearning. Through the skill, vitality and unique perspective of the Djool, CARAVAN OF DREAMS serves also as a reminder that even spiritual enlightenment has its humorous side. |
"Body Inheritance displays the qualities that make UMO extraordinary:
an astonishing combination of ensemble work and individual expression."
"Done with tremendous grace and poignant humor, ...Body Inheritance
plumbs the riddles that puzzle us all." "The show was beautiful, eliciting 'ooh's' and 'ahh's' from the
audience every couple of minutes." BODY INHERITANCE is a celebration of the body as a vehicle for memories, real and imagined, of family, of culture, and of the earth that are inscribe and imprinted within us. As a seamless progression of poignant vignettes and striking images unfold, BODY INHERITANCE weaves a rich and vibrant tapestry of raw physicality, poetic text, vocal and sonic virtuosity and dynamic aerial imagery. In a world where elements of nature are sculpted into a breathtaking and musically elegant setting, performers create visual poetry on a circus "cloudswing" - a soft rope loop swing suspended 8 feet above the ground - and a 'Spanish Web' - a vertical counterpart to the cloudswing. In a compelling mix of playfulness, risk and revelation the stories, wisdom and mysteries we carry in our bodies, from skin to muscle to bone to dust, are revealed. Whether drawing from the rich treasure chest of family histories or tracking and witnessing the movement, stories and sounds inspired by body cells and systems, BODY INHERITANCE is an invocation of the body as a link between the temporal and the eternal. UMO Educational OfferingsThe members of UMO Ensemble are experienced teachers in a full range of workshops residencies, master classes and lecture/demonstrations for educational and professional settings. Topics include Masks, Buffoon Theater, Improvisation, Character Development and many other areas of theater skills. |
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MANAGEMENT & TOUR DIRECTION
P.O. Box 352 | Pawling, New York 12564 Special Attractions | Dance | Visual Theatre | Theatre | | E-Mail | Booking/Performance Information | This site developed and maintained for Arthur Shafman International, Ltd. by Performing Arts Network. ©1996-99, All rights reserved. |
"...a fabulous circus of the body, mind and spirit!"
"An archetypal journey
from womb to tomb that's fascinating to watch, ...an exquisite balancing
of virtuosity and vulnerability." -Seattle Times
