Open Eye Theatre Announces the 2021 Summer Driveway Tour

Via an April 13 News Release from Open Eye Theatre:

THE AMAZING COWBOAT returns with a revised story and an all new cast

Open Eye Theatre announces the return of its award-winning summer Driveway Tour, the perfect outdoor neighborhood get-together. Since 2002, Open Eye has been building grassroots community with fun-filled, all-ages traveling puppet shows performing outdoors throughout the Twin Cities. Learn more at openeyetheatre.org/driveway-tour.

THE AMAZING COWBOAT, one of most popular shows in the Driveway Tour repertory, has an exciting revised storyline and cast for 2021, guaranteed to delight kids and grownups alike.

It’s time for Binh to take a bath! Binh’s imagination comes alive as he pretends he is the captain of a boat that is part cow, part boat, and totally amazing! Together Binh and his Cow Boat set sail on a high seas adventure to search for the lost crown of Lac Long Quân, the Dragon Lord of Vietnam, making friends as they go, all before sailing home to his bathtub before bed time!

Earlier this year, with generous support from the Jim Henson Foundation, puppetry artists Liz Howls and Oanh Vu redeveloped the script and the design of the main puppet character to reflect the image and experience of a young Vietnamese-American child. Puppeteers Tri Vo and Ty Chapman will perform in THE AMAZING COWBOAT.

The Driveway Tour features hand-crafted puppets, two performers and a live musician. Members of the community are invited to host a Driveway Tour show in their own backyard, garden, or driveway. Open Eye offers private shows and public performances for festivals, parties, and other events. The traveling production can set up almost anywhere! Learn more at openeyetheatre.org/host.

“The kids loved meeting the puppets after the show! We had a great mix of people — neighbors, family, kids, adults... And I have to say how absolutely special it was to have an accordion player on my driveway!” — 2019 Driveway Tour host

All performances of THE AMAZING COWBOAT will be outside and Open Eye will follow CDC guidelines for COVID-19 safety.

Visit openeyetheatre.org/driveway-tour for more information and to learn about hosting a show this summer.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Liz Howls Schachterle (she/her) is a puppeteer, performer, teacher, and artistic director of the Full Moon Puppet Show, a popular adult puppetry slam. Her work has been recognized with two Ivey Awards, and grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Jim Henson Foundation. She has worked as a mentor, teacher and consultant for Monkeybear’s Harmolodic Workshop, and most recently designed video animations for Kevin Kling’s Best Summer Ever at the Children’s Theatre Company.

Oanh Vu (she/her) is an educator, artist, and community organizer. She has a long history in film but has recently found a home in puppetry. As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, she uses humor and the playfulness of puppetry to tell stories of healing for her community. She was a 2020 Puppet Lab Artist and her work has been shared through the Full Moon Puppet Show and Monkeybear's New Puppet Works.

Tri Vo (he/she/they) is really into punk music. Tri brings punk energy into everything they do, from music, improv, and theater, to puppets and podcasting. Tri would really love to play with more punk rock musicians, especially those who are melanated and have strong working class politics. You can listen to Tri share their thoughts on the podcast that they make called GLAMMUMP. You can learn more about the podcast by visiting facebook.com/GLAMMUMP, and listening to it wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ty Chapman (he/him) is a Twin Cities based author, poet, puppeteer, and playwright of Nigerian and European descent. He has been creating art with social justice themes for many years, and is passionate about creating art that speaks to the Black experience in America. His recent accomplishments include writing four children’s books through the Loft’s Mirrors and Windows program, creating a one-man shadow puppet and marionette show for Puppet Lab, and publishing poems through SOFTBLOW and Oyster River Pages. Check out Ty's other work at TyChapman.org.

New Driveway Tour photos featuring this year’s cast will be available soon.

Here are some photos from previous shows:

About Open Eye Theatre

Open Eye Theatre is nationally recognized as a vibrant home for artists who create imaginative and profound experiences that open eyes, hearts, and minds through the power of amazing stories and unforgettable performances. Experience a thrilling array of original theatre, inventive puppetry, live music, and world-class storytelling from local, national, and international artists year-round in our cozy 90-seat theater in South Minneapolis, or find us in neighborhoods throughout the Twin Cities with our summer Driveway Tour! More information is available at openeyetheatre.org.