Bare Bones is a seasonal favorite of mine. Community-driven, large puppet and music heralding in a story of the circle of life and death – bringing in current events and shunning late-stage capitalism. Each year uses a different approach, different perspective or narrative; I don’t always catch the nuances, but it is an amazing show regardless. This year began with the moon reflecting with a willow tree at the banks of the river as she is dying. The moon reminds her that she shall be remembered.
A highlight for me was the giant centipede. It was grotesque and gorgeous in equal measures and it transformed. Magic! That’s half magic that makes Bare Bones shine. Hearing a small child ask what’s happening throughout the show is the other half of the magic. Reminds me of going when my girls were little. Again, the action can be difficult to follow so a kid is going to have questions, but kid catch the highlights and the ethos. The small child behind us would ask what’s happening and immediately follow up with but it’s pretend, right? Magic!
