by Krystal Bell

Black clad, porcelain masked, the mysterious figure stared at the silver pocket watch in its hand. It was perfectly still save for its tail, which ticked to a succinct rhythm. It was as if to mock its shiny timepiece, a token whose sides bore patience and impatience. Like clockwork, the figure suddenly came to life. As if pulled by the strings of some strange fate it moved, slowly relinquishing its trinket, then tending to its coat and top hat, brushing off the dust of lost forgotten dreams. It was time for a night on the town and a romp in the shadows. With its hat between its horns and its cane in hand, it dashed into the evening crowd like a gentleman caller late for his tryst.

Its eyes, though black and empty, could see mortal passions. And on this busy street, desires were lit like signposts. Though there was one that burned brighter than the rest, drawing the figure on, down some dark uncharted imaginary alley. As its stride dropped to a prowl, it was clear. This was an Alpha on the hunt...hiding in the haze of reality... lurking just behind the corner of your eye.

About 3 years ago I had this crazy notion to put on a white mask and hand out animal crackers to the audience in the Cirque Berzerk tent at Burning Man. People were definitely intrigued and it was a thrilling. But deeper things were stirring while in that mask. I found my motions growing exaggerated, I found myself acting differently. There was a strange freedom to it. And for me it was bliss. That evening, an idea was born.

Anonymity can be a key to unlocking people trapped by their inhibitions, freeing them to express themselves in ways they might have never imagined. This anonymity is how our costumes came to be. The black and white colors are an open canvas for creation. And with the masks on, there is no fear or concern, just freedom to move and be, as we explore hidden aspects of ourselves through organic dance, acrobatics, puppetry, and atmospheric character work.

The story goes that the Wandering Marionettes are haunted dolls. A menagerie of stray toys possessed by dark spirits. Some of them are the ghosts of the once living, but most of them are living thought forms, Tulpas as referred to in Tibetan myth. Think of them as the imaginary friends of the mentally disturbed somehow gotten loose. They are the manifestations of the dark corners of the mind running amok in the bodies of puppets. The first, and their leader, is one known as The Alpha. Through the course of The Alpha's wandering it was joined by several more, with names like Pneuma, Truth, Puck, Ashima, The Orphan, and The Wandering Magician.

In the course of their early adventures the infamous mad clown and sideshow anarchist group, Cirque Berzerk, adopted them. The Wandering Marionettes became an act within their show, developing their eerie affection for their human audiences. With their new human family, they went on to perform at such events as The Burning Man Festival, The Harmony Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival, The Red Nose District Fundraiser, and many more. And it has paved a great road for expression as some of the characters behind the masks have taken to or started with performing as klowns in Cirque Berzerk. See if you can guess who is who, when they shed their anonymity and join the ranks of mortals, performing also as Dancers and Klown characters in Cirque Berzerk for atmosphere and performance pieces.

In the course of their early adventures the infamous mad clown and sideshow anarchist group, Cirque Berzerk, adopted them. The Wandering Marionettes became an act within their show, developing their eerie affection for their human audiences. With their new human family, they went on to perform at such events as The Burning Man Festival, The Harmony Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival, The Red Nose District Fundraiser, and many more. And it has paved a great road for expression as some of the characters behind the masks have taken to or started with performing as klowns in Cirque Berzerk. See if you can guess who is who, when they shed their anonymity and join the ranks of mortals, performing also as Dancers and Klown characters in Cirque Berzerk for atmosphere and performance pieces.

Rocking eerily from side to side to the hideous beat of the collective energy, they watch as the Circus folk scurry about like ants through dust, preparing for the next show. Aside from the occasional uncomfortable look into dark spaces, or the uneasy glance over the shoulder, all shadowy antics go unseen by the circus folk. Dusk quickly gives way to Night and the warming lights of a completed tent and the suspended energy from awaiting performers spills out over the circus lot. As the inside world of the tent settles into its entertainment and the darkness outside is forgotten, tentative nods, reassuring touches, and bold motions, indicate the shadow's eagerness to play. Uninhibited by the coils of natural law, these supernatural beings push forward like oil over water, toward their longing, their curiosity, their circus world.

 

 

Krystal Bell - aka Bells the Klown - is a founding member of The Wandering Marionettes, and also works with Cirque Berzerk, and Pocket Underground. She's also an absolute sweetheart.

Find The Wandering Marionettes here.