For our first foray into the world of puppetry, Funkopolis went to the internet for inspiration, and found a most unlikely source -- noted playwright and director Richard Foreman. Gaining permission from Mr. Foreman himself to use his 'leftovers' -- text he had written which he hadn't used in his theatrical works and had instead made available on his website -- principal artist Tim Brown created an evocative shadow-puppet experiment. We continue to thank the world for the generous genius of Richard Foreman, and deeply appreciate his support for our work.


Studio Theatre
Towson University
Baltimore, Maryland USA
Spring 2000
2000 Isopolitana International Festival of Puppetry
Bratislava, Slovakia
Summer 2000

Puppeteers Tim and Gail Brown
Voice Juanita Rockwell

Director Tim Brown
Text Richard Foreman
Sound Design Tim Brown
Puppetry Design Tim Brown, Randy Jacobson

U.S. Selection, 2000 Isopolitana International Festival of Puppetry

  • Under the mentorship of noted puppeteer Theodora Skipitares, WORDS FROM RICHARD became Funkopolis' first production to reach Europe, when it performed at the 2000 Isopolitana International Festival of Puppetry in Slovakia.

Funkopolis co-directors Tim Brown and Gabriel Shanks went through an obsessive phase with the music of seminal electronic group The Art of Noise. WFR was the first of two pieces that would feature their music in the soundscaping (the other was rite #55/wonderwall elegy). Both shows took musical inspiration from their 1999 recording The Seduction of Claude Debussy, which features voiceovers by John Hurt and others. We heartily recommend that you treat yourself to this remarkable album and the entire catalog of The Art of Noise.

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