Anarchist Puppets Liberate Atlanta

Video

 On January 6th, 2012, the Mysterious Rabbit Puppet Army landed in Atlanta for a show sponsored by local anarchists.  The M.R.P.A. is a radical puppet troop from Chapel Hill N.C. that has been performing around the country for 3 years.  This was their first Atlanta appearence.  

The show Friday night consisted of two acts.  The first was an anarchist re-telling of the childrens classic Hansel and Gretel, set in Chapel Hill.  Even though the show had the audience laughing, it dealt with subjects such as poverty, child neglect and abandonment, child labor, and self liberation.  It also did a good job poking fun at modern liberal eating habits.

The second act was a well researched look at the history of prisons in America.  It starts in Colonial America and works it's way through the Civil War, and into the modern Corporate for profit prison system. The show covers a lot of territory in thirty minutes, and even though the audience was laughing, they also recieved lots of information on the origins and growth of America's prison's, and who goes to prison, and who does not.  

After the show I got a chance to go backstage to meet  and interview one of the puppet actors, Donnie Don't.  Donnie was very open about his history in puppet theatre, life on the road, the creative process used by M.R.P.A. and other puppets that have influenced his acting style.  

So sit back with a bag of popcorn, and check out the Mysterious Rabbit Puppet Army's first Atlanta performance.  It's not your Grandparents puppet show, but it is safe for your preteen revolutionary.