Samson takes his puppets to the Big Gig

There will be some new faces at Summerfest this year. Huge ones, in fact. And hand-held ones, too.

Those are the puppets created by Max Samson, which will appear in “Stones of Wisdom,” a collaboration between the Milwaukee Mask & Puppet Theatre and First Stage Children’s Theater that premieres June 26 at Summerfest.

The show, which was tailor-made for the Big Gig, combines actors, musicians and some 25 puppets, half of which were built by Samson. The puppets will range “from giant pageant puppets to rod and hand-held puppets and marionettes,” said First Stage education director Steve McCormick, who co-directs the show with Samson.

Samson, who founded the Mask & Puppet Theatre, describes “Stones of Wisdom” as a “piece of theatre … adults as well as children will enjoy.” The play is a multi-media collection of many ethnic folktales.

The show tells of a young girl’s journey from her home as she seeks fame and fortune. “We use African, Persian and Native American stories to elucidate her journey,”
Samson said.

And, he continued, “It is a very musical presentation.” Keeping in line with the musical nature of Summerfest, the show includes the live performance of composer Ernie Brusubardis’ five-piece band.

The multi-cultural nature of our script allows for different musical styles,” McCormick said.

“Stones of Wisdom” will be performed on the Sentry Foods Family Stage June 26, 28, 29, 30 and July 3-6 at 12:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Many local actors and acting students will take part in the production, including Arik Luck and Matt Roth, who star in the show.

Roth, 19, of River Hills, plays several characters and said he “had never worked with puppets in so much detail before.” The experience has increased his passion for acting, he said in a telephone interview.

Samson’s relationship with puppets is longstanding. Like most solid relationships, it began with love. “I really fell in love with them,” he said in a recent interview.

On tour with the reputably political Bread and Puppet Theatre in Brooklyn throughout the 1970s, Samson became enthralled with puppets through direct experience. He went on to run his own puppet theatre in Israel in the 1970s before founding the Milwaukee company.

The Mask & Puppet Theatre collaborated once before with First Stage on the 2002 production, “Einstein: Hero of the Mind.”

Though performing at Summerfest poses unique challenges, “Stones of Wisdom” is well suited to the outdoor festival. Someone strolling through the grounds could choose to see either the whole production or some parts of it, and have a meaningful theater experience either way, McCormick said. “[Stones of Wisdom] will be full of fun and humor. It’s a celebration of cultures.”