TLAB SHARES HOSTS
THE FALCON KING
directed by Gretchen van Lente
Using natural and found-material assemblage puppets, The Falcon King tells a tale of confusion, heartbreak, anger and action. The frogs tried to warn them, but when the birds’ babies all start dying panic ensues and they don’t know who’s to blame or who to turn to. Will the cursed King help save them or sit idly by, watching from his castle on the hill? In a world where humans’ war on insects is destroying their
The recovery of the Peregrine Falcon from the brink of extinction remains to this day one of the most successful conservation efforts in history. What is most remarkable is that it was done almost entirely through grassroots efforts by people across the country. How can we ensure this never happens again? What did we learn?
All puppets in the production are made from found, natural and recycled materials. The story of the play follows the history of DDT and humans’ resistance to its use paralleled with the birds’ almost medieval response, a la the myth of the cursed Fisher King of Arthurian legend. The script is created from found text, including Richard Wagner’s Parsifal, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, T.S. Eliot’s Wasteland, articles from 1950s Better Homes and Gardens, Fish & Wildlife reports, and much more. The reuse of materials in both the puppets and the play is a thoughtful reflection of the ecological themes of the show.
The piece has received a Henson Foundation Workshop and Production grant. It has been workshopped at ART/NY studios, at the La Mama puppet slam, Dixon Place’s Puppet Blok, and the International Puppet Fringe Festival. It received a prestigious PATCH residency in the fall of 2026. Research for the show has been conducted at the World Center for Birds of Prey, the Science History Institute, The Othmer Library of Chemical History, and with the Princeton Department of Ornithology.
PERFORMANCES
Thursday, December 3rd @ 7:00 PM
Friday, December 4th @7:00 PM
Saturday, December 5th @ 2:00 PM
Saturday, December 5th @ 7:00 PM
Sunday, December 6th@ 2:00 PM
Thursday, December 10th @ 7:00 PM
Friday, December 11th @7:00 PM
Saturday, December 12th @ 2:00 PM
Saturday, December 12th @ 7:00 PM
Sunday, December 13th@ 2:00 PM
Approximately 1hr 30mins (no intermission)
TICKETS
All ticket tiers provide the same level of access to the performance.
All seating is general admission.
Please make your purchase according to your needs.
TRUE COST: $42.00
STANDARD $35.00
ACCESS: $28.00
MEET THE TEAM
Founded in 1999, Drama of Works (DOW) “New York’s tightly organized satirists” (In Pittsburgh), are known for their innovative works “high on fantastic production value” (Village Voice) that cross the line between actors and puppeteers. Led by Artistic Director Gretchen Van Lente, they have taken their unique brand of theater to venues as diverse as New York’s P.S. 122 and the International Festival of Children’s Theatre in Subotica, Serbia – gaining members, fans and supporters along the way. They produce PUNCH puppet slam, run Puppet Club (an online social club for neurodiverse puppet lovers), and hold workshops in their BK studio. Drama of Works are the recipients of ten Henson Foundation grants, four ART/NY grants, a Brooklyn Arts Council grant, and many others. Drama of Works has performed abroad at eight international festivals to date, crossing the globe from Canada to Indonesia.
GRETCHEN VAN LENTE (Director)
Lorem
COVID-19 policy: In guidance with the city and state COVID-19 policies, we will no longer be requiring masks, but strongly recommend them.