From November 6 to 15, LaMama New York hosted the Unterwasser company for a creative residency in its workspace.
The residency in New York followed a long period of distribution and touring. It was an important opportunity on two fronts: on one hand, it allowed us to get to know cultural realities very different from our own; on the other, it enabled us to create a space-time bubble in which our experiences at that moment served as inspiration to reflect on new topics together and to collect a variety of materials, with the aim of building the foundation for what will become our next theatrical project.
We were hosted in the heart of Downtown Manhattan, in one of the most representative places of New York’s Underground cultural scene. LaMama ETC remains a place where artists from all over the world can meet and coexist. Its spaces are many, and every day of the year, they are engaged in some activity. We shared our apartment with people from Turkey, Korea, and Puerto Rico. We attended rehearsals for a beautiful dance and puppetry performance by the resident company Loco 7; we saw several shows during the Puppets Festival, where we presented our own show, OUT; and we explored the archives (where our theatrical work will also be included), the history of Ellen Stewart, and the Theater Museum, guided by one of its founders.
One of the most exciting experiences for us, as object animation enthusiasts, was the opportunity to visit the workshop of the Jim Henson Foundation. We met Richard Termine, a foundation member who, fascinated by our work, gave us a tour of the workshop and the chance to speak with the puppet builders of many Jim Henson television productions. We even got to see various treasures from their archives, such as some of Jim Henson’s original sketches.
The outcome of this experience has been overwhelmingly positive. We had the chance to closely observe a different culture and working method, which helped us gain a deeper awareness of our own artistic identity. We also received great interest and appreciation from our overseas colleagues—something that, beyond being gratifying, is an extra motivation to create with passion and dedication. Another invaluable aspect of this residency is that in New York, we began collecting materials, writing, and discussing the first ideas for our next project. Though it has no set deadlines and still has a long journey ahead before becoming a full-fledged show, it’s exciting to think that this trip was the beginning of an even longer journey.
