Anne Sawyer-Aitch

Anne Sawyer-Aitch
3131 17th Avenue South •Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55407
(612) 376-7502 • •

Director • Puppet Artist • Arts Educator • Stilter •Producer •Spanish

Minneapolis Institute of Art, Creator/Perfomer, Commissioned Work (2011) Design and present 30 minute shadow puppet piece Shadows of the Floating World based on the Japanese Edo-Pop exhibit for Target Family Days.

Artistic Director, New York Mills Reigonal Cultural Center Kalevala Pageant (2011) Write script, lead puppet build, and direct pageant based on Finnish epic. Teach stilt-walking, coordinate players and interns.

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre (1997-2012) May Day Parade Staff Artist, (2006-2009); includes working with a large & diverse population of volunteers. Puppeteer in MN Orchestra’s Spooktacular (2010); Puppeteer, Lake Street Excavations (2005); Narrator, La Natividad, (2006 -2009); Stilting Spanish Narrator, May Day Pageant, (2006-2011); Puppeteer, Hansel & Gretel (Orchestra Hall, 2005- 2011); Saturday Matinees (1997 - 2012).

Magic Lantern Puppet Theater, Founder, Project Coordinator, 2000 - 2012
Playwright, Producer, Director of multi-media show Children & Other Optical Illusions at Dreamland Arts, (2010) and Open Eye Theatre (2011). Ditto for five shadow shows: The Tale of Fatima the Spinner (2000); Parvatibai, the Cleverest Woman in India (2002); Ala Dean & the Marvelous Lamp (2006) & Bate, Bate Chocolate (2007), How Ganesh Got His Head, Heart of the Beast (2009). Free-lance puppet design commissions for May Lee Yang’s Confessions of a Lazy Hmong Woman (2012); Theatre Unbound’s 10 Virgins (2010); and a 10-foot puppet for the MN Nurse’s Association (2011).

Chicks on Sticks, Artist, Coordinator 1999 – Present
Gig Coordinator, build puppets/costumes & stilt in venues such as: Cirque Du Soleil, NFL Fan Festival, Mill City Museum, the MN State Fair, and the Ordway Children’s Festival. Performed in pieces at Minneapolis of Institute of Arts (2006 & 2009).

Minnesota Zoo, March 2011 – September 2011

Perform title role for puppet show Odessa’s Magical Menagerie in more than 40 performances at the MN Zoo’s new Target Center stage.

Minnesota State Arts Board Roster Artist & Free-Lance Arts Educator, 2003 - Present
Teach puppetry arts in English & Spanish-speaking settings all over MN. Clients: ArtStart, SteppingStone Theatre, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Heart of the Beast & Hennepin County Libraries.
Gustavus Adolphus College, January Term, 2009
Teach January term class in Shadow puppetry. Lead Designer for Shadow puppets for production of The Other Shore, by Gao Xingjian.

Anne Sawyer-Aitch, Resume, Page 2

Open Eye Figure Theater, Driveway Tour, 2006 - 2008

Title role in Michael Sommers’ bilingual touring puppet show Juan Bobo.

Barebones Productions, 2000 – 2008
Performer/Producer in 2005-2006 Dumpster Duels & three Halloween Shows.

Galumph Interactive Theater, Full –Time Producing Artist, 1996 – 2003:
Writer, Director, Puppeteer, Production Manager. Lead Artist: The Great Count Pork (2004) Dumpster Duels (2003 - 2004); Séance (2003); Parsnip County Shindig (2002); Success! Now It's Your Turn (2000); Tumtumerau (1998); MN Children's Museum Series (1998); Madame Freux-Freux's Café of Love (1997). Created commissioned pieces for the MN Children’s Museum and the MN History Center.

University Language Center, Minneapolis, MN, 1995 – 1998
Teach Spanish, integrating 8 Intelligences Training & TPR Storytelling.

Education:

University of Arizona, Tucson
M.F.A. Courses in Creative Writing. GPA: 4.0. (1992 -1993).
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies, with emphasis in Creative Writing; Graduated with Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa (1991).
University of Granada, Spain

Certificate in Hispanic Studies, one & a half years of study (1989-90).

Other Educational Experiences:

•Art classes at Minneapolis Community & Technical College (2009-10). •Homestays in Mexico (1988 & 2006) Belgium (AFS, 1985) & Brazil (1990). • Study through TC Puppeteers Guild & at National Puppet Festivals (2000, 2005, 2007).

Awards, Grants & Distinctions:

•Jim Henson Foundation Award to create Nalah and the Pink Tiger show (2011). •MRAC Arts Learning and Arts Activities Awards for Nalah and the Pink Tiger shows and workshops (2011 & 2012).

•Puppeteers of America Endowment Award (2011).

•VSA Arts of MN Artist Award, (2010).

•New York Mills Artist Residency to work on Nalah and the Pink Tiger (Sept., 2010)

•Awarded MRAC Arts Activity Grant to re-stage play Children & Other Optical Illusions at Open Eye Figure Theater Stage. (2010-2011)

•Co-curator of 801 Gallery Show Puppetry of the Twin Cities, (Summer, 2010)

•Minnesota State Arts Board Roster Artist (2009-2012)
•Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Community Arts Grants, (2009, 2002, 2000).
•Minnesota State Arts Board’s Artist Initiative Grant. (2005).

•Puppeteers of America Endowment Grant, 2005 and 2011.
•Jerome Travel Study Grant, (1999): to perform at National Puppetry Festival.
•Center for Arts Criticism Grant, (1995): to study Latino theater.