Kessto Kreatures’
The Scarecrow
Director/Playwright/Lyricist/Composer/Creator: Anthony Michael Stokes
Assistant Director: Amber Snyder
Performers:
The Scarecrow/Stepney Fisher: Anthony Michael Stokes
Professor H.M. Wogglebug: Zachery Garner
Ojo the Lucky(Winkie One) / Man 2 / Dream 7: Antonio Romero
Nunkie Unc (Winkie Two): Amanda Vasquez
Winkie Three / Lily White: Amber Snyder
Golden Crow / Ida B. Wells: Kymbali Craig
Angeline the Patchwork Girl: Leigh Marie
Seesaw the Sawhorse/ Dream 5/ Ozian 5: Tau Bennett
Man 1 / Dream 4 / Ozian 4: Tom Foran
Production Team:
Production Stage Manager: David Jackson
Dramaturg: Helena Pennington
Projections Designer: Don Cieslik
Light Designer: Bakari Prigg
Puppet Design and Creation by
Anthony-Michael Stokes and Kessto Kreatures,
additional puppet construction by Zachery Garner
Scenic properties design and carpentry: Nicholas Hodge
Photographs: Richard Termine
Produced by Kessto Kreatures with help from Cheryl Henson
The Scarecrow is the recipient of a 2022 Workshop Grant, a 2023 Production Grant, and the 2023 Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center Residency from The Jim Henson Foundation.
This production was last performed in the 2024 La Mama Puppet Series in New York.
Special thanks goes to: The Jim Henson Foundation,Cheryl Henson, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, The El Paso Community Foundation
Melissa Nichelle Stokes, Dr. Fey Lafon & Robert Postman, Ibrahim Salais, Trisha Holmes, Josey Pickett, Pastor Kerney Perry, Karen Elmore Harrison, Betty K. Stokes, Luisa Bowcutt, Rhonda Rikki Smith, First Lady Adele Johnson, Elaine Best,Roxanna Myhrum, Irma Acosta, Sheana Tobey. Anthony A. Labriola,Forest VanDyke,Caitlin Swahn, Vitex Probasco, Bruce Cannon, Agent Noodle,Tiffany D Mitchenor, Lindsey Briggs, Adam Zarowski. Stella Gutierrez, K and L Imagery, Richard Termine
The performance runs 60 minutes with no intermission
Description
How did he come to be hanging there in that corn field where Dorothy found him? This original adaptation of an OZ story follows the newly appointed “His Majesty the Scarecrow,” as he is tasked to save the citizens of Winkie country from an ever-increasing horde of crows. He journeys back down the yellow brick road to discover his life before becoming a scarecrow & the lynching of an African American man that ended that life. Joined by his companions; the Wogglebug, the Sawhorse, the Patchwork girl & a perpetually pckish crow – the journey explores his mysterious connections between the land of Oz & the Jim Crow era of the United States in the early 1900’s. Through its innovative use of puppetry, powerful storytelling, & culturally relevant music, The Scarecrow aims to captivate audiences, provoke thought, & inspire change. This production serves as a testament to the transformative power of imagination, history & the human spirit.
Inspiration
Since childhood, I have always loved the Wizard of Oz & all its iterations, along with other fantasy stories & fairy tales. Even so, I often wondered where are the people of color in these stories of munchkins, witches & other magical creatures. This piece, as well the rest of the kind of work Kessto Kreatures does, showcases a purposefully truly diverse company both on & off stage while also raising visibility for the different type of artists of color that exist & showing that we exist in our own unique powerful ways, because representation matters.I would be remiss if I did not bring up that The Scarecrow ,while being inspired by fantasy and childhood it was just as much inspired by the unrest I felt during the pandemic, in a time I felt I could do nothing so I created art, I’m creating art and I created my own peaceful protest.
Who’s who
Anthony-Michael Stokes (The Scarecrow/Stepney Fisher) a Chicago based multidisciplinary teaching artist and award-winning educator. Originally from El Paso TX, he holds B.F.A’s in music theatre and dance and a Master’s in Education.He has trained as a puppeteer with the Jim Henson Company and the Sesame Street Puppeteer workshop. He was awarded a 2023 Production Grant, a 2022 Workshop Grant, and the 2023 O’Neill Residency from The Jim Henson Foundation for his work The Scarecrow. He is also currently a 23-24 La MaMa Resident Artist and 2024-2025 Chicago Puppet Lab Artist. What fuels him as a creative is finding a clear perspective and cause to tell a story that will inspire, educate, and allow for self-reflection. He loves to package a thoroughly entertaining story that when you least expect it, hits you with a deep moment that can change your entire perspective. He wants his work to enlighten, empower and entertain while using puppetry, music and theatre to connect everything. I am so grateful to God for this ever-evolving journey of life and opportunity, for my family (Mom and Grams) and to the artists and individuals who have joined me on this journey, supported each other and held me up so that we could share this story.
Tau Bennett (Sawhorse) is a puppeteer, writer, director, and teaching artist from Brooklyn, New York. He’s been building his own puppets since the age of ten and appeared in the documentary, Being Elmo: a Puppeteer’s Journey (2011). His professional puppetry career started in 2015. Some of his TV credits include Sesame Street (HBO), Donkey Hodie (PBS), and Helpsters (Apple TV). He has appeared on stage in Jessica Simon’s production of Ruby and Charlie at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center (2018), Spencer Lott’s 9000 Paper Balloons at HERE Arts (2019), and Concrete Temple’s production of Ernie’s Secret Life (2024). In further collaboration with Concrete Temple, Tau wrote the script for The Spirit of the Sea, directed by Fatima Sambo Shoenfelder (2024) and performed in a presentation of it as a work in progress at Dixon Place. Tau is a marionettist with the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater in Central Park since 2023, and has been a virtual and in-person teaching artist with Puppetry in Practice and Little Shadow Productions since 2022. Tau continues to develop his own projects – most notably, the surreal sketch comedy show, Cold Sober, which aired on BRIC TV in the autumn of 2023,and can now be viewed on YouTube, where much of his independent work resides. He occasionally performs live with Cold Sober at various venues around New York City.
Tom Foran (Man 1) is an actor, burlesque performer, carpenter, clown, puppeteer, and very rarely, a writer. He gained his BFA from the University of Connecticut in 2011 and is the co-founder of Blunt Objects Theatre, an anarchist theatrical punk troupe. He is honored and excited to be working on The Scarecrow!
Zachery Garner (Professor H.M Wogglebug.T.E) is a Puppeteer and Actor, who has worked with Mesner Puppet Theater for over 10 years on productions such as, The Dinosaur Show, Anansi the Spider, The Shipwreck Show and a web series called In the Workshop. As well as a performer Zachery is also a talented puppet builder and designer, in some cases Zachery could be designing, building and performing all for the same show. In addition to his work with Mesner Puppets now called What If Puppets, he was also a member of the Kansas City Improv Company where he was one of the youngest people to join the team at 19 years old. In 2021 he had the privilege to be a part of The Henson Company’s puppeteering training workshop, learning from Donna Kimball, Kevin Clash, Daniele Gaither, and Patrick Brestow.
Since 2022 Zach has been part of a web series called KikaBou in which he plays an imaginative Prairie Dog named Bouba, teaching kids about the wonders of nature and earth stewardship. He recently ended a run of Little Shop Of Horrors where he puppeteered the larger than life Audrey II at the Kansas City Repertory Theater. Last year Zachery was honored to be a part of the original workshopping of The Scarecrow in Connecticut at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, and is very happy to be back in the land of Oz.
Leigh Marie (Angeline the Patchwork Girl), 34, a seasoned performer since age 13, boasts classical vocal training and a repertoire featuring productions like Ain’t Misbehavin, Monty Python Spamalot, and The 25th Anniversary Sir Tim Rice Concert. Introduced to puppeteering last March at the Eugene O’Neill Conservatory with The Scarecrow production, she finds honor in collaborating with Anthony and
strives to make the entire cast and crew proud.
Antonio Romero Jr (Winkie One -Ojo the Lucky/Man 2), 33, is so honored to be a part of The Scarecrow’s journey! Born and raised in El Paso, Tx. Antonio is an eccentric Actor and Drag performer who received their BFA in Theater Performance at The University of Texas at El Paso. Past roles and Productions include Jason/ Tyrone(Hand to God), Frog (A year with Frog and Toad), C.B. (Dog Sees God) and Misha (Lydia)Which Earned him the National award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor
in a play at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival 2018. Antonio would like to extend a huge thank you to Anthony Michael Stokes for trusting them with the role and bringing them along for the Adventure! Cheers to heading back down the road!
Amber Snyder (Winkie Three/Lily White/Mombi) is a Chicago based creative that has been practicing the art of storytelling for many years through multiple mediums including stage, screen, audio and puppetry. Her creative evolution would not be possible though without training from places like Rough House Theater Co, LAMDA and Second City. If you’re still curious about this Amber person, you can find her short film Evermore Nevermore (awarded Best Adapted Film in the 2021 Poe Film Festival of Richmond, Virginia) on Vimeo. Or perhaps you would enjoy Amber’s original audio storytelling adventures of Star Stuff Stories on Spotify or Apple Podcasts? But enough about her, please enjoy the magical ride that is The Scarecrow.
Kymbali Craig(Gold Crow/Ida Bells/Locasta) SAG-AFTRA Actress, Spoken-word Artist, Director, Visual Artist, Educator and Author Kymbali Craig can be seen on networks such as NBC, CBS, HBO, Netflix, Showtime and others. Her most current project “Wolfs” premiered Sept. 2024 featuring Brad Pitt and George Clooney. She played the role of “Mother” in the astonishing production “Food for the Gods” by profound playwright Nehprii Amenii at the La Mama Puppetry Festival 2018 and The Claire at the University of Maryland. As a spokenword artist she has shared the stage with Erykah Badu, The Roots, Ben Harper and many more her track “The Last Days” is featured on the legendary spoken-word album Easrgasms: Crucialpoetics Vol 1with artist such as Saul Williams, Jessica Care-Moore and many others.Inspired by visual artist Basquiat her painting is one of the artworks featured in the album jacket of the infamous rapper Rakim’s album “The 18th Letter”, she also sold many pieces in the International Arts and Media Festival in France alongside artist like Danny Simmons, Lorenzo Pace and countless other visual artists from around the world. She has worked with young people for many years as a teaching artist, workshop facilitator and community organizer with many non profit organizations. She was the co-founder and creative director from 2007-2013 for Brooklyn based non-profit Baileys Cafe.org whose mission is to bridge the gap between youth and elders thru theater, media arts, workshops and community events.
Amanda Vasquez (Winkie Two-Nunkie Unc), has been a member of El Paso theatre companies: Shakespeare on the Rocks, and Los Actores, since 2012. She has also performed in several productions with The El Paso Playhouse, The Jewel Box Series, and EPCC. Amanda is also a singer, as well as a film and television actor. She has featured in the local independent films Where One Stands, Save Me, and is currently In-Production for the film 22 Weeks, and can be seen on ChicanoHollywoodTV’s Aim For The Heart, as recurring character, Jackie Corrales.
David Jackson (Production Stage Manager) is thankful & privileged to be a part of this amazing team of artists. Holding a BFA in Stage Management from Syracuse University, David has been a Stage Manager for numerous Off-Broadway productions, workshops, and development residencies. Currently a Stage Manager for Sleep No More (Punchdrunk/Emursive Productions, The Mckittrick Hotel), other recent credits include: National Puppetry Conference ‘23 (Stage Coordinator, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center), The Scarecrow (PSM – La MaMa Residency, PSM – Jim Henson Residency @ the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center), & Dialogue of the Carmelites (PSM, Bronx Opera). Love to Mum, Dad, & Eileen.
Bakari Prigg (Lighting Designer) is a professional puppeteer with a career spanning 20 years. He’s trained by puppeteers from Sesame Street, The Jim Henson Company, and Disney’s The Muppets. In 2017, he created an Alabama-based puppet troupe, Under His Strings. In 2019, he performed at Sesame Place as a puppeteer for the inaugural year of their first puppet-based show Our Street is Sesame Street. In addition to his puppetry career, Bakari is a concert and theatre light designer in the IATSE union. He’s been a professional designer since 2015. People will see most of his work in Huntsville, Alabama where he collaborates with local community theatre companies such as Theatre Huntsville, Fantasy Playhouse, and Lyrique Music Production. Other venues and organizations he’s worked with include places such as The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Oakwood University and its affiliates, University of Alabama in Huntsville, The Von Braun Center, and Dream Theatre.
Don Cieslik (Projections Designer) is an NYC based video designer and programmer. Originally from El Paso, Texas, where he and Anthony first met and worked together at the UTEP Dinner Theater. Don has worked as a video programmer for multiple Broadway shows including, The Sound Inside, The Lehman Trilogy, The Great Gatsby, The Wiz, among others. Additionally he has served as the associate video content designer for Disney Cruise Line’s stage productions of The Little Mermaid and The Tale of Moana.
Press Quotes
“*****…The songs are tuneful, the puppets are fun, and there is an admirable effort to educate about a dark chapter in American history…”
Jonathan Mandell, Newyorktheater.me ( November 7, 2024)