(photo by Sheila Sky)
Nose to the grindstoneThe Miller works hard, but not much fun
by Jason Booker
What a strange experience.
The Miller and His Wife are two short puppet pieces by the Puppetmongers (siblings Ann and David Powell) that they originally created in the mid-70s. As part of their 40th season, they have chosen to revisit some of their greatest hits, which includes this double-bill of “American Bunraku Puppetry.”
The two halves of the bill, The Miller and the story of His Wife, were created separately and are partnered here as the first shows that the Powells presented professionally. In the earlier show and the opener here, The Miller, the feudal lord comes to collect tithe from the miller and winds up outsmarted when the punishment issued (involving an adorable turn from a stuffed cow) turns into a financial windfall and a damp plunge into a nearby stream. His wife, following a brief resetting of the stage, later owns a bakery and is ordered to make a cake for the king by a scheming chancellor which, again, results in a plan that backfires and the good prevail.
