Handspring & Sogolon Puppet Companies
Directed by Marthinus Basson

BAM Harvey Theater
Oct 4—8 at 7:30pm
Oct 9 at 3pm
Tickets: $20, 35, 50, 60
Apx. 85min, no intermission

BAMdialogue with Yaya Coulibaly, Basil Jones, and Adrian Kohler
Oct 5, post-show
(free for ticket holders)

In 1826, the Pasha of Egypt put a whole new slant on the notion of gift giving, ordering a giraffe be captured in Sudan and brought to France’s King Charles X. Duly snared, the giraffe and her abductor set off on the long journey, during which they develop a powerful bond. It’s a story so fantastic that it has to be true—and most of it is.

An intra-African collaboration between South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company and the Sogolon Puppet Troupe of Mali, Tall Horse is vibrant and evocative theater, drawing on the story’s complex political, social, and cultural implications. The production turns the historical tables to show the African “discovery” of Europe, examining both the past and present state of African-European relations. Wonderfully skilled performers manipulate and interact with the life-size (and larger) puppets, creating a powerful fusion of human acting and puppetry techniques amid a fantastic tableau of color and sound.

The Pasha, a massive ten-by-ten-foot assemblage who comes together piece by piece, lords over his vivid subjects with an authority befitting his heft. The sixteen-foot giraffe, on the other hand, towers magnificently and delicately, inspiring all who encounter her.

Written by Khephra Burns
Puppet design by Yaya Coulibaly and Adrian Kohler
Sets and costumes by Adrian Kohler
Lighting by Wesley France
Music by Warrick Sony
Choreography by Koffi Kôkô
Video animation by Jaco Bouwer

Photos: Geof. Grundlich