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THE RAPTURE PROJECT
January 4 - 21 at HERE

Obie and Jim Henson Award winning Great Small Works presents the New York Premiere of THE RAPTURE PROJECT beginning January 4th at HERE. This seriocomic look at fundamentalism and current American culture is played out to absurdist limits by a colorful cast of marionette puppets, live performers, and musicians.

Alternately ridiculous and terrifying, THE RAPTURE PROJECT brings together tabloid newspaper stories, popular literature about Armageddon, and fundamentalist iconography to create an epic spectacle following an unlikely cast of characters from the USA to The Middle East and beyond. See the Creationist tour of the Grand Canyon and learn the history of the world through Bible-based science. Enter the world of Muslim squatter punks in Buffalo where young believers try to redefine Islam for the 21st century. Marvel as the spirit of Susan Sontag debates the Devil. Be awed as regular American citizens confront the growing power of fundamentalism over their lives and institutions. Wonder if The Rapture is upon us!

Inspired by classic Sicilian puppet theater’s Orlando Furioso cycles, which performed the epic clash of Christians and Muslims in the 1800’s, THE RAPTURE PROJECT examines the influence of religion in American culture and politics today. In an age when so many Americans believe in the imminent arrival of The End Times, what does it mean that these believers have the ear of their highest ranking politicians?

THE RAPTURE PROJECT is created and performed by Great Small Works members John Bell, Trudi Cohen, Stephen Kaplin and Jenny Romaine, with performers Shane Baker, Andrea Lomanto and Jessica Lorence. The piece features original music composed and performed by saxophonist Jessica Lurie.

Great Small Works was founded in 1995. This collective of six artists draws on folk, avant-garde and popular theater traditions to address contemporary issues. Great Small Works performs in theaters, schools, community gardens, libraries, museums, prisons and other public spaces, producing varied works from gigantic outdoor spectacles to miniature shows in living rooms. Great Small Works received a Village Voice Obie Award and an UNIMA/USA Citation for Excellence in 1997; a New York Foundation for the Arts Community Assets Grant in 1998, and the Puppeteers of America’s Jim Henson Award for innovation in puppetry in 2005. Past productions include The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare, The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln and A Mammal’s Notebook: The Erik Satie Cabaret. Since 1995, the company has presented a monthly Spaghetti Dinner series of performance. They have produced seven international Toy Theater Festivals involving hundreds of artists. They have also offered puppetry workshops for students, artists and community groups at NYC public high schools, NYU’s Performance Studies department, Museo de Culturas Populares (Mexico City), Center for Puppetry Arts (Atlanta), National Theater Workshop for the Handicapped (Belfast, Maine), and KlezKanada (Quebec).

Since 1993, the OBIE-winning HERE Arts Center has been one of New York's premier arts organizations and a leader in the field of presenting new, hybrid performance work. Under the executive and artistic leadership of Kristin Marting, HERE has served 11,000 emerging to mid-career artists developing work that does not fit into a conventional programming agenda. Examples include The Vagina Monologues, Basil Twist's Symphonie Fantastique, Hazelle Goodman's On Edge and Trey Lyford & Geoff Sobelle's all wear bowlers. Work presented at HERE has garnered 10 Obie awards, an Obie grant for artistic achievement, three Drama Desk nominations, two Berrilla Kerr Awards, two NY Innovative Theatre Awards and a Pulitzer Prize nomination. In 2005, HERE purchased its longtime home as part of a five-year "Secure HERE's Future" campaign. HERE's 2006 season includes 4 original multidisciplinary productions, 15 projects in development by resident artists and two festivals featuring new work. HERE supports the work of artists at all stages in their careers through full productions, artist residency programs, festivals, and subsidized performance and rehearsal space. All work at HERE is curated based on the strength and uniqueness of the artist's vision. This production is being presented through HERE's Supported Artist Program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical and administrative support.

THE RAPTURE PROJECT runs January 4-21; Thursday and Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 7 & 10:30pm, and Sunday at 2pm. HERE is located at 145 Sixth Avenue, between Spring & Broome Streets -- accessible from the C,E at Spring Street or the R,W at Prince Street. Tickets are $20, available at 212-352-3101 or here.org.