PRUFBOX

PRUFBOX is an original production loosely based on T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Drawing inspiration from Dada assemblages and the box constructions of Joseph Cornell, the hit show’s spare aesthetic conjures the 1920s and ‘30s eras. Two characters animate the stage collage: a woman from the sea who rides a cycle of existence, and a man who hesitates. Their poetic world balances between whimsy and angst over tea in a life-size shadow box with dancing puppets.

Here are some reviews from The City Paper’s Fringe and Purge blog:

Elegant, eloquent, and visually engaging in its simplicity and precision, Prufbox is a beautiful little show. Based on “The Lovesong of Alfred J. Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot (don’t let this scare you), Prufbox , by Happenstance Theater, is like looking into a moving Joseph Cornell box. For those who need a “story”, there is one, told in visual vignettes, about the relationship between a man (Mark Jaster, a gem in the world of movement-based theatre) and a woman (Sabrina Mandell, in a performance that compliments Jaster’s in style, playfulness, and pathos), with support from a host of object/characters, played by Lindsay Abromaitis-Smith. But the story is not what you’ll remember; it is the moving images- a pas de deux between a teacup and an umbrella, a Chaplinesque “day-in-the-life” sequence, and beautiful moments where the man and woman connect- that will stay with you long after the well-deserved curtain call. Prufbox is playing through Wednesday on the mainstage at the Warehouse.
Thanks to all the performers and administrators who are bringing this really cool stuff to a city that deserves really cool stuff!
- Michael

Just got back from an awesome double-feature of
Prufbox and Beginnings. Prufbox was brilliant. Just
completely beautiful. And my favorite of the 10 shows
I’ve seen so far at Fringe. But alas, its run has ended…
-Dan N.

Prufbox is a charming existential clown/mime, puppetry and the occasional spoken word piece that delighted and confounded the small group of women (and Colin) I was with. The performers were subtle but powerful and the conventions used were… unconventional….
-Rachel G.