Peter Schumann founded the Bread and Puppet Theater in 1963 on New York City’s Lower East Side. Fifty-nine years later it remains one of the United State’s oldest non-profit, self-supporting theater companies, leaving an indelible stamp on the world of theater and the American cultural landscape. Schumann’s puppet shows range from tightly composed theater pieces presented by members of the company to extensive outdoor pageants which require the participation of many community volunteers. Guided by a philosophy of living and working within the means available, Schumann’s aesthetic is inextricable from the paper maché burlap, twine, and staples, that make up and literally hold the puppets and the shows together. This installation of masks, puppets, books, paper maché relief work, and paintings conveys Schumann’s deep commitment to the creative and political work which unites artists and communities in celebration and protest. Schumann says: “Ecstatic Decrepitude is presented on two floors. Bulky, big, oppressed and oppressive decrepitude obviously belongs upstairs, way above ecstasy, which hides in book pages and requires diligent reading on the 1st floor. The faces, idols, agitators and sufferers of the Naked Humanity Republic get entertained by Father Time who strikes the clock for them relentlessly…”
