In the Jim Henson Foundation Grant awarded “Milo the Magnificent, ”Milo, an aspiring magician – and puppet – will charm kids and adults. Using stunningly innovative puppetry, Milo presents a variety of magic tricks which don’t always go as planned.

Each performance runs 45 minutes, and will be followed by a meet and greet with the artists.

Great for all ages!

AWARDS:

2017 Jim Henson Foundation Workshop Grant

2017 Greenbelt Community Foundation Grant

REVIEWS:

“Milo is a bit of a cardboard character, but you can’t blame him for that. He’s a puppet: specifically, a huge cutout fellow, whose arms, hands and feet belong to one of his creators, and whose changing facial expressions are recorded on flippable circular cards. The duo Alex & Olmsted — Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas — invented his world, which includes other puppets made of cleverly repurposed materials. Milo, appearing here as part of the Just Kidding series, aspires to be an illusionist, and while his tricks and experiments rarely work out as planned, children will still find them magical.” – The New York Times

“The anchor of The National Puppet Slam, this piece amazed audiences in more ways than one… Performed so masterfully and effectively, the audience is swept away in Milo’s quick changes of expression as he struggles and achieves each feat.” – The Puppetry Journal

ABOUT ALEX AND OLMSTED:

Alex & Olmsted (Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas) has been making puppets since 2010. In recent years, they have performed at the international Puppet Festival Chuncheon in South Korea, the Festival de Casteliers in Montréal, Symphony Space and LaMaMa in New York City, The Puppeteers of America Festival, and two National Puppet Slams. In 2019, they will be performing Milo at the Festival of Wonder in Silkeborg, Denmark and the Festival of Animated Objects in Calgary, Canada. “Milo the Magnificent” was awarded a 2017 Jim Henson Foundation Grant and a Greenbelt Community Foundation Grant and was featured on the front page of the Hartford Courant. Alex & Olmsted are resident artists at Baltimore Theatre Project. They are also proud company members of Happenstance Theater with whom they have created 9 productions since 2012.

Unexpected Stage Company is funded by an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. Funding for the Maryland State Arts Council is also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Unexpected Stage gratefully acknowledges The Center for Organizational Excellence for its generous support.