Imago Theatre: La Belle, Lost in the World of the Automaton
Imago founders Carol Triffle and Jerry Mouawad are physical comedians, theatrical animators, modern-day magicians, and adventurous alchemists. For over 35 years, their Portland-based theatre company has been creating a vast repertoire of boundary-blurring productions that defy categorization. Their newest incarnation, La Belle, is set aboard a 1920s steamship where the refined Lady Rose encounters the ship’s coal stoker, Sam, after taking refuge in the engine room during a storm. Rose discovers a curious collection of trucks and treasures and soon realizes that Sam has constructed the 1740 French fairy tale La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast) in the world of the automata (fanciful figurines brought to life by the ingenuity of clockwork mechanics). As they retell the story together, love blossoms in the midst of a whimsical, non-stop, gear-driven, kinetic world featuring over 100 astonishingly detailed automata, puppets, and non-digital dazzling effects.
Recommended for ages 7 and up
This performance will last approximately one hour and 15 minutes with no intermission.
