Checking in with the 2022-2023 Artist in Residence Program

If you peeked into LFC’s art rooms these days, you would see them filled with whales, snails, jellyfish, a cave, a cyclops eye, a boat and plenty of fish.

These props and characters were designed to recreate the world of Homer’s Odyssey, particularly the chapter detailing Odysseus’ journey to the island of the Cyclops Polyphemus.Led by this year’s incredible Artists in Residence team from the Lookingglass Theatre Company and the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, students of all ages helped create the set for this silent film, which will reenact the story.

Over the last few weeks, puppeteer Tom Lee has been working with students at all levels to animate art pieces through construction and movement: 

• Maternelle students have been learning how to bring creatures, like the whale made by our high school artists, to life. 
• Elementary students practiced how to draw fish.
• Students in high school took part in a Japanese puppet building demonstration presented by master Koryū Nishikawa.

Meanwhile, Lookingglass ensemble members and LFC parents Phil Smith and Louise Lamson have given students acting lessons:

• Maternelle students learned to play a sheep.
• Elementary students learned how to act in harmony as an ensemble, pretending to row a boat together or be a school of fish.
• Middle and high school students practiced how to act a scene convincingly using mime, to help an audience understand context without the help of dialogue, and how not to be distracted or intimidated by the audience or their peers.

Thank you to all our parent and teachers knitters who are helping to create the costumes!

Quelle odyssée !