Dull from the fierceness of the glow
Which midnight and moonlight show
As though all night I burned with fire
Whose flames at sight of dawn expire.

And so I wear the shadowy grey
Of ashes in the brilliant day
And wait for darkness and the night
To show my own effulgent light.

-Josephine Young Case

http://www.skidmore.edu/centennial/case.htm

On July 24 and 25, 2008, an ensemble cast performed The Lady Liberty Blues, written in the main by Wes Andrews and directed by Jess Smith, at Live Girls! Theater in Ballard, a Seattle neighborhood.

I was in charge of all the shadow imagery. This was my first time creating puppets for a show, and my first time performing with them. These will give you an idea of what we accomplished:

If you want more information on the show, Wes created a blog, which lives nearby.

There is this amazing artist, Yulia Brodskaya.

I really wanted just a shot from her website of “The Magic is in the Telling”. ‘Cause it is. And it’s beautiful.

If you want to see it, which you should/must, it lives with her Paper art at this place.

I’m talking about this:

Though not talking much, ’cause it speaks for itself. He’s a friend of a friend.

Damn!

These ingenious place mats were shown to me by Moxie. She found them on this blog Oh Joy!, about things that I can’t deny I want to have for myself. See for yourself, here.

The Dovetail cups are especially tempting. Really.

And not according to Bertrand Burgalat:

I freakin’ love that video.

Isabella’s Art reminds me of one of my favorite poems, by T.S. Eliot.

Here is the ebb of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”:

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back
When the wind blows the water white and black
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

Full text here.

Isabella has an Etsy page, and she makes shadow puppets too! Get ‘em here.

There was a buzz on the streets of Strathcona.

People were milling around the Ukrainian Hall.

The Valley of Ashes was about to begin.

Now that’s the best footage I can find, and it surely doesn’t do it justice. The amazing shadow work is barely represented. However, it’s a taste.

I was floored.

The Dusty Flower Pot Cabaret are amazing. Check them out here.

Pallett is best known in the States as the gorgeous string accompaniment for the Arcade Fire (think “No Cars Go”).

In Canada he is also prominent as a solo artist who creates lush musical textures by looping his violin tracks. This is impressive live, as you will see in the video below.

Why I bring his story to you today is because his live show is augmented by shadows. Stephanie Comilang uses and overhead projector to add even more layers to the performance.

Oooh la la, la la: