fire

earth

water Elisabetta Potasso 50 rue Château Landon 75010 Paris France Phone: 0033.6.64.54.30.47 email: elisabetta_potasso @hotmail.com

Faizaan Peerzada 25-F/3, Block D, National Homes, New Muslim Town, Lahore - Pakistan Telefax: +92 - 42 - 5885074, 5885075, 5885079 email: [email protected] www.peergroup.com.pk

Presentation of the Project Was created as a memory to celebrate the residency of Elisabetta Potasso, the Italian puppeteer at the Museum of Puppetry Lahore-Pakistan, from January to March 2004. The production was designed and constructed by Elisabetta Potasso, in collaboration with Rafi Peer Theater Workshop. During her stay, getting to know Faizaan Peerzada (the founder of the Puppet Museum and the president of Unima Pakistan) sharing their experiences in puppetry and theater, both Elisabetta and Faizaan came up with the idea of creating an intimate performance, full of emotion. With movement, poetry and music, create a magical thought provoking story. Thinking it to be the best cultural exchange between two artists, who

come from different cultures, different traditions, two different peoples, believing in two different philosophies, but artistically so similar. In this 40 minutes thought provoking performance, with the message of Peace, Freedom, and Hope, that humans may grow and develop in harmony with their environment and fellow humans. Two puppeteers give life to one puppet.; Yes it is possible to bring ones dream alive with one puppet. It also shows the possibility, with esthetically well chose, precise movement and action how a creative artist can express and communicate their dreams and ideas.

Faizaan Peerzada Born in Lahore-Pakistan, the son of Pakistan's foremost playwright Rafi Peer, Faizaan began his career at Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop in 1977, which he now heads as its Artistic Director. He has experience in organizing cross-cultural events that the company has arranged with over a thousand different programs for children as well as adults all over the country. Some of these shows are pioneering efforts in the upcoming history of the performing arts in Pakistan. Faizaan Peerzada is a puppeteer with distinction and has been awarded the President's medal for the Pride of Performance in 2003. He has performed regularly in all the major towns of Pakistan and

in many cities abroad. The puppets have also given a sense of achievement to Faizaan as an artist both for stage and television. He has created more than 2500 puppets for an assortment of puppet plays, and has produced over one hundred TV puppet shows as a director as well as the stage and puppet designer. He has also traveled internationally on over 7 major international tours and festivals with various productions. Another major step in the development of the puppetry art form is the setting of the Museum of Puppetry in Lahore, of which Faizaan is the Project Director. This museum will be the first of its kind across South Asia. Faizaan has been the integral driving force in creating fifteen International Festivals of Puppets, Theatre, Music, and Dance beginning in 1992. These Festivals have had participation from 56 countries, with over 3000 artists representing over 300 groups. The Fourth International Puppet Festival 1998 held in Lahore was declared internationally as the biggest international puppet festival in the world. Faizaan has also been a founding member for UNIMA Pakistan, he is presently the president, which was setup on the 15th February 1993.

Elisabetta Potasso Elisabetta Potasso was born in Italy, but for some years has been residing in France and makes artistic works in Paris. She has formed an Academy of Fine Arts in Milan that offers a thesis of masters on the pedagogy of the contemporary art of puppet. Her career began as a set-designer, but her passion for the puppets has transformed her profession after participating in numerous international workshop, where she has learnt different methods of manipulation and fabrication of the puppets. Elisabetta Potasso follows a pedagogy based on a contemporary registry: the search of the theatre space, the study of the movement and the presence of the puppeteers on the theatre stage. The theatrical talent has been transmitted to Elisabetta by the great masters like Alain Recoing. The passion, the force and the determination of Elisabetta Potasso makes her travel around the world and discover new cultures with only axe: the magical world of puppets. The actually political situation in Pakistan stimulates the artistic growth and this is the reason she found it an honor to creat the show “Fire Earth Water” with Faizaan Peerzada.

The Play The world came into being with the union of natural elements, “Fire Earth Water” and wind. It was these elements that created the seas, the sands and life began with the breath of love. The Puppeteers give life to a puppet, to discover the world around it, and to have a great adventure. Until the puppet discovers, that the built environment is taking place of Nature. Buildings walls and creating cities in places where these and flowers grow. Adding multitude of distractions; the humans are lost and absorbed in their self created chaos of life (done in shadows). Suggesting human beings and the nature of human beings if the same, irrespective of race, religion, class or culture. Humans can love, or hate, all have dreams and they all want to achieve many things. Finally saying that we as humans can not turn back, therefore we must and can only go ahead. Facing everyday our own fears and the problems of this society. We should not forget who we are, where we came from and where we wish to go. We all hope, because we all have dreams.

The Museum Of Puppetry, Lahore - Pakistan presents

Fire Earth Water Original idea by Elisabetta Potasso and Faizaan Peerzada Technical Conditions: Stage: minimum 2m height, 2m width, 2m depth Set: 2m height x1.80 m width 80 cm depth Puppet 60 cm high and manipulated visible Voice and dialogue live with musical support recorded Sound and lights supplied from the company Duration of the show: 40 minutes Age of the spectator: from 4 to 94 years Indoor theater darkened and 150 max audience Set up:45 minutes Tear up: 35 minutes

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