Now in its 50th year, Bread and Puppet Theater, founded by Peter Schumann, stands as one of the nation’s oldest not-for-profit theatre companies. With its social themes and oversized “puppetry,” it is also one of the most recognizable troupes in the world. Garnering world-wide media attention during the Vietnam War, the company has become a mainstay in contemporary culture. Bread and Puppet’s utilization of large scale pageantry, live music and stunning visual art has contributed greatly to its global success and recognition.
The Shatterer of Worlds: Chapel with naturalization services for applicants requesting citizenship in the shattered world, is a walkabout political performance, enveloping audience and performers alike. The performance references the moment when the first atomic bomb was dropped and Robert Oppenheimer, the chief architect of that bomb, recalled words from the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu prayer epic: Life, the splendor of 1000 suns blazing all at once, resembling the exulted soul, is become Death, the shatterer of worlds.
Note: The April 16 performance is open to MSU students, faculty and staff only. Two additional performances on April 17 and 18 are open to the public.