Animal Cracker Conspiracy Puppet Company, or Animal Cracker Conspiracy (ACC), is a contemporary hybrid puppet company co-founded by Iain Gunn and Bridget Rountree that is invested in pushing the boundaries of kinetic performance, creating performances that "decenter expectations, open new avenues of thought, and invoke the uncanny." Their ongoing practice is based on a shared interest and exploration of where fine art,

puppetry Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a perform ...

, performance art, circus, dance, film, and mixed media intersect. They perform nationally and internationally out of a multiplicity of venues such as La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, where the company resides. ACC specializes in inclusive multimedia performances that encourage difficult discussions and foster community through local theater, Street Parades, and national tours. Gunn and Rountree have served as directors, designers, developers, producers, and puppeteers in the company's productions since its founding.

History

Early life

In 1993, Iain Gunn received a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...

from the University of British Columbia. Bridget Rountree received a B.A. in Literature studying domestically at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara in 2005 as well as one in

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

internationally at La Scuola Lorenzo de' Medici in

Florence, Italy Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

. They joined forces in 2004 after they met at the San Diego Children's Museum where Gunn was an artist in residence while working with Fern Street Circus, a community circus for underserved youth. They collaborated in San Diego's underground performance scene with Technomania Circus, which gave rise to the creation of their own collective circus, ''Zirk Ubu,'' as well as Animal Cracker Conspiracy.

2006–present: Professional Experience

:2006–Present: Animal Cracker Conspiracy; Co-founder, Director, Puppeteer, Designer :2005–2006: San Diego Art Department; Art Instructor teaching foundation painting, drawing, sculpture :2005–2011: San Diego Guild of Puppetry; Puppetry Instructor, Puppeteer :2007–2011: ''Zirk Ubu''; Co-founder, Director, Puppeteer Designer, Performer :2007–2013: ''Dragon Knights'';

Stilt walker Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground. In flood plains, and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are often constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water, wa ...

, Character Actor, CA :2013: Bedlam Theater, Workshop using puppetry and storytelling : MiraCosta College Actors Academy, Puppetry Workshop, co-Teacher, Guest Lecturer :2014: ''Eurydice'', Theater Class USD, Puppetry Manipulation, Shadow Intensive, Guest Lecturer :Puppetry Development Intensive USD; Co-Teacher, Movement, director :2015: ''When It Comes'', Old Globe, Puppet Development, Manipulation, designer

Work

Animal Cracker Conspiracy produces

puppet shows Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – wikt:inanimate, inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. S ...

, cabarets, and multidisciplinary exhibitions, many of which they have toured and

performed A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...

for local, national, and international audiences.

Society of Wonder

Commissioned by La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls (WOW) in 2020, ''Society of Wonder'' is a series of six short live action puppet films. The story is set in a not-too-distant world in impending collapse, partly due to the global disappearance of chickens and partly due to a

monopolistic A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a spec ...

technocracy which has innocuously taken over the world. The protagonists, five seemingly unrelated characters, receive mysterious signs and some coercion from a mysterious 6th character (the Cyborg) that eventually leads them all to one another and to the unearthing of magic. The use of puppets in Society of Wonder supports both the concept and content of the production. They serve as a bridge between the human and the spirit realm, which are invoked throughout the story in the search for magic, knowledge and the responsibility of humans to reconnect both to nature and culture.Sheikh, Hamid.

Paper Cities

''Paper Cities,'' ''or Strategies to Avert the Coming Megalopolis'' is an ongoing experiment in devised puppet performance. They use

puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods ...

s, animated objects, dance/anti-dance(movement), original film and

live music A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety an ...

as routes to create and question meaning in an increasingly uncertain time environmentally, socially, politically and spiritually. The inquiry: what epistemologies have led to this precariousness? How have textual information and

image An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

s, sense and law, architecture and habit, played a part? Drawing from Gunn and Rountree's personal histories as art makers, lovers, and great-granddaughters and great-grandsons of colonial settlers, they implicate themselves with the 'other.' They interrogate historical narratives, settler/

expansionist Expansionism refers to states obtaining greater territory through military empire-building or colonialism. In the classical age of conquest moral justification for territorial expansion at the direct expense of another established polity (who ...

movements that have led to an epistemology of ' progress' that occludes the realities of war, genocide,

imperialism Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...

, and

environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment (biophysical), environment through depletion of resources such as quality of air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the extinction of wildlife; an ...

The Collector

Performed with toy and object theatre, table-top puppets,

stop motion animation Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...

, and film, ''The Collector'' is a mysterious tale set in an alternate reality. The story follows a lowly debt collector who, under the management of a mechanical, tyrannical overseer, undergoes a radical transformation of spirit in the process of collecting outstanding debts. As he travels through an

urban landscape In the visual arts, a cityscape (urban landscape) is an artistic representation, such as a painting, drawing, print or photograph, of the physical aspects of a city or urban area. It is the urban equivalent of a landscape. ''Townscape'' is ...

, the boundaries between object and self collide, and a multidimensional, mixed media performance through Orwellian,

Neo-Victorian Neo-Victorianism is an aesthetic movement that features an overt nostalgia for the Victorian period, generally in the context of the broader hipster subculture of the 1990s-2010s. It is also likened to other "neos" (e.g. neoconservatism, neoli ...

lenses unfolds.

Gnomesense

''Gnomesense! A Happening in the Garden!'' is a parade performed with giant puppets,

stilt walkers Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground. In flood plains, and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are often constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water, wav ...

, dancers, and musicians, offering

dreamlike A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, altho ...

, meta- impromptu dance parties and singalongs for audiences to engage with and enjoy. Led by a group of benevolent, "mystical garden beings", ''Gnomesense'' serves to invoke "spirits of nonsense, serious play, and make believe to come out and bask in the sunshine," drawing inspiration from carnival processions across the globe, including giant puppetry used in Indonesian, Italian, and Japanese cultures.

Adult Puppet Cabaret

The ''Cabaret'' is a curated show produced twice a year featuring short form

puppet theater A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods or strings to mov ...

, designed for a mature audience. Created out of a desire to foster new works of puppetry, Animal Cracker Conspiracy presents a diverse group of puppet artists, partially supported by the Puppet Slam Network spearheaded by Heather Henson and

IBEX Puppetry Heather Beth Henson (born December 19, 1970) is an American contemporary puppet artist, the daughter of Jim Henson. She serves on The Jim Henson Company, The Jim Henson Legacy, and the Jim Henson Foundation Boards of Directors. She is also a Tru ...

The Myth Project

Directed by Liam Clancy and Patricia Rincon with artistic collaboration from Rebecca Bryant and composer Don Nichols, ''The Myth Project'' explores myths of warrior and

military training Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...

. A collaborative, site-specific effort, it was performed at the NTC Promenade, formerly the

Naval Training Center A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inc ...

, in Point Loma, California. It aims to examine the essence of storytelling as a means to create social change through a blend of dance, theater, puppetry, and circus as a way to re-embody contemporary and ancient myths.

Adrift

Performed with ''Zirk Ubu'' and directed by Liam Clancy, ''Adrift'' is a moving meditation on the themes of Zen, vagabond, and welcoming the precarious into everyday life. Through the use of play, the idea of being unmoored, of letting go, and of allowing oneself to be swept away by forces outside of one's control are explored. As transient as it sounds, ''Adrift'' encourages the audience to leave behind familiar formulae and the safety of the known and realize the inevitable truth, continually found: there is nothing lacking.

Stilt Walking

With over a decade of experience performing on traditional 'echasse' peg stilts, teaching workshops, and constructing wooden stilts for performers, ACC continues to inspire with their audacious designs and inimitable presence, their stilt characters leaving beautiful and joyful impressions in the minds of their audience with every performance.

Inspirations

Though neither puppeteer initially intended on pursuing the art as a profession, both were fascinated by the intricate, timeless performances within works such as '' The Dark Crystal'' and '' The Muppets'' by puppeteering legend Jim Henson, inspired as youths by his reification of puppeteering as an art as well as a practical, refined discipline in relation to a modern, mainstream audience. Gunn was especially moved by the themes of

resistance Resistance may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Either of two similarly named but otherwise unrelated comic book series, both published by Wildstorm: ** ''Resistance'' (comics), based on the video game of the same title ** ''T ...

, struggle, and perseverance as presented in '' The Dark Crystal'' from a very young age. Rountree was engaged by the storytelling quality of ''The Muppets'' and its ability to communicate difficult themes to young audiences. Later on, Gunn was influenced by street performers such as

while growing up in Vancouver, Canada while Rountree was introduced to the Handspring Puppet Company during an artist residency with teaching artists Rose Shakinovsky and Claire Gavronsky in

Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislature, legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the sec ...

. This, along with

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...

artist-turned-

puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from ...

William Kentridge's films, '' Ubu and the Truth Commission'', served as major catalysts in their pursuing puppetry. As a pair, both also describe the anti-carceral, anti-imperialist, and

anti-war An anti-war movement (also ''antiwar'') is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term anti-war can also refer to pa ...

sentiments and folksy yet larger-than-life productions of

Bread & Puppet The Bread and Puppet Theater (often known simply as Bread & Puppet) is a politically radical puppet theater, active since the 1960s, based in Glover, Vermont . The theater was co-founded by Elka and Peter Schumann. Peter is the artistic direct ...

, created by German bakers-turned-

s Elka and Peter Schumann, as transformative in how they viewed the boundaries of theater performance. Animal Cracker Conspiracy is also heavily inspired by European styles of puppetry such as the use of more visible puppeteers in theater and street performance through giant puppets, marionettes, and stilt dancing.

Causes

Animal Cracker Conspiracy prioritizes social commentary through various shows and exhibitions, even developing the structure and form of various projects in response to multiple issues, such as the use of typically useless but recyclable materials and household objects, including cereal boxes, brass pins, and even toilet paper, and upcycling them to reimagine the boundaries of puppets. Other causes include: * Inclusion * Transformation *

Sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership * Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the dif ...

Rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

ACC also hosts community workshops to engage with audiences and continue this ethos beyond the theater.

Awards and Grants

:2009: Sator Arts Foundation Grant :2010–20: Heather Beth Henson Fund :2010: Jim Henson Seed Grant :2011: Synergy Art Foundation Grant :2012: Jim Henson Foundation Project Grant :2012: Puffin Foundation Grant :2012: Techies Choice Award San Francisco Fringe :2012: Best of San Francisco Fringe :2012: Curated Choice New Orleans Fringe :2013: Creative Catalyst Fellowship :2014: Guthman Foundation Grant :2015: Jim Henson Foundation Project Grant :2015: Network of Ensemble Theatres Exchange Grant :2016: Eugene O'Neill Puppetry Conference,

Waterford, CT Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,571 at the 2020 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) and had a population of 3,07 ...

:2017: Jim Henson Foundation Seed Grant :2018: Jim Henson Foundation Project Grant

References

{{reflist Puppetry in the United States Puppet troupes American puppeteers