The Bread and Puppet Theater was founded in New York City in the 1960s by Peter Schumann. Their methods have changed quite a bit over the years, but as far as i can tell is always a political and artistic feast.

They were well-known for their Domestic Resurrection Circuses in Glover, VT, which ceased in 1989 after they just got too big and attracted the wrong kind of people, who didn't even go to the shows, just got drunk in the campgrounds and killed each other.

The circuses were multi-day affairs, featuring giant puppets, music, flags, stilts, motorcycles, and audience participation. The political causes varied from war and labor topics to the plight of the monarch butterfly.

And they made great sourdough bread which they gave out for free with pounded garlic for the bold, to go along with the bread and roses theme.

One of the concepts that they stood by was that of cheap art.

There is still a fantastic museum in Glover with many of their old puppets and manifestos, and they are having smaller events on summer weekends, each focusing on something simple (i believe the one i heard about was about toes). I assume many of the beautiful banners (Brother Toothbrush, Sister Sun, Frying Pan) will come into play at these shows, which i have not seen. Glover is in the North Kingdom of Vermont and thus pretty far from even those things that are closeby.

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