Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre will present a special performance for adults and teens on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. at Owl Glass Puppetry Center, 319 N. Calhoun, West Liberty. The play, "Squatters on Red Earth," written by Mary Swander under the guidance of members of the Meskwaki Settlement, was supported by grants from Anon Was a Woman Environmental Art Award (The New York Foundation for the Arts) and The State Historical Society of Iowa, Inc.
It’s a one-man show starring Rip Russell, directed by Brant Bollman, with live music by Laura Kittrell. The drama explores the issue of the white settler land grab from the Native Americans. The core story revolves around a peaceful encounter between the Meskwakis and the Inspirationists, a German Utopian group, all the while the colonialists were forcing the Natives from their land.
The play incorporates a cranky, a common puppetry device with a painted scroll cranked and seen through a viewing window. The cranky features lush paintings by Shelley Buffalo and shadow puppets by Monica Leo. Rip Russell, in addition to playing all of the parts, uses crow puppets crafted by Brant Bollman.
Admission is $10, and tickets are available by emailing monica@puppetspuppets.com; calling 319-6127-2487; or visiting www.puppetspuppets.com, clicking the “donate “ button, and completing a ticket purchase. Advance reservations are recommended due to limited space.