BareBones Haloween Show 1999: YDKThe 6th Annual BareBones Halloween Extravaganza

Directed by Mark Safford

October 30 & 31, 1999 · Minnehaha Falls Park, Minneapolis

This was BareBones Production's most expansive show to-date and was the 2nd performance staged at Minnehaha Falls Park in Minneapolis. As threats of Y2K loomed, BareBones faced the threat of eco-collapse and considered the process of decay as an ultimately healing force.

The pageant was supplemented by individual puppet performances and installations by local artists and "Stop the Highway 55 Reroute" activists. YDK featured a gigantic three headed dog, Jack O'Lantern and his box of light, a humongous parade of animal skeletons (including a life-sized skeleton of a blue whale!), a transforming, giant, walking, steel spider by Willis Bowman, a 120' long Salamander, a 300' shocking gauntlet of Stilting Scarecrows, and lots, lots more...

Cast and Crew: Lisa Abbatomarco · Trevor Adams · Amy Ballestad · Jessica, Braun-Ferris · Willis Bowman · Shelley Chinander · Suzy Deak-Ridenour · Heidi Eckwall · Dan Guiney · Brent Harring · Alison Heimstead, Soozin Hirschmugl · Eric Hofstad · Julian McFaul · David Miller · Daniel Polnau · Sam Ridenour · Crystalline Ruby Muse · Douglas Saldana · Jebediah Wilson

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1 Comment

  1. Mark Safford on September 26, 2009 at 7:25 am

    There were a host of fantastic energies in 1999 as always ,and among them were ; Lisa Abbatamarco creating exquisite cardboard sculpture of both the giant whale skeleton and life size sabre tooth cat skeleton. Krista Pearson created hundreds of moth puppets, and an incendiary kamakazi moth that flew into the million candlepower eye of the giant tower, creating the transformation to big daddy long legs. Mattie created giant rat bike skeleton only the first of many awsome Barbones collaborations with Trish. Jason Misic rode the bison skeleton bike. Alex Apticar and John McFaul were perfect poop fairies finishing mache on the McFaul dung balls. Marky Baby Rosso ,Crystaline and Jess breathed incredible life into the piece from the opening flea song on circus cerberus to the melancholy spiral at the end of the show. The Kansas Boys Brian, Tony, and Kevin helped Alison with the skeletal dog body. Micol and Amy Taylor helping with the creation of the giant crows and E.R. and Brent Harring puppeting them. Shelly and Julian created the gargantuan giant salamander golum that rises from the carcass to quench the light. Dahn’s gorgeous golden skeletons rising out of the dung balls were mytherial . Julia and Anushka created pumkin heads for the scarecow moment(one of my all time favorite) with butt mounts by Amy Ballested. Douglas came out of the closet with his growing tyranosaurus habituation and created a very sexy termite queen to becon the audience below. Carey Heartborn was brilliant as crash, one of the triumverate of Mary Jo Nikolai’s fleas, who’s initial tempo was set by Mike Huber and his tiny flea circus band.Suzy Deak and Sam Ridenour running lighting all over the deer pen .Arwen Wilder and Kristen Van Loon choreographed the termites brilliantly. Hucklberry Stoik at the head of the whale was as beautiful in grace as I have seen, and Andy Kim ,a consumate performer -director, questioning how Lisa was allowed to build the thing. Alison H, Daniel Casper, Dan Guinea, Eric Hofstad ,Bo Heroes all, wrestling with one of the most weighty and technically ambitious puppets ever. Its million candle power eye is dim by comparison the kind of energy expressed in the creation of this show. Maren on top of the hill laughing and rubbing her hands together as twenty six stilters move in unison from static to stride. Bright moments in deed.

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