Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Features “Ajijaak on Turtle Island”

A shot from “Ajijaak on Turtle Island,” which opens the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival.
A shot from "Ajijaak on Turtle Island," which opens the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. Courtesy / Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival
A shot from “Ajijaak on Turtle Island,” which opens the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival.
A shot from "Ajijaak on Turtle Island," which opens the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. Courtesy / Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Features “Ajijaak on Turtle Island”

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The opening event for The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival 2019 is “Ajijaak on Turtle Island.” The story is derived from indigenous wisdom. Ajijaak, a young whooping crane, is separated from her family and must make her first migration alone. Along the way she finds many animal friends and learns about the interconnectedness of all creation. Co-creator Ty Defoe is from the Oneida and Ojibwe Tribes. He developed Ajijaak with Heather Henson and IBEX using life-sized puppets and an original score. Ty says he wants “to create something that activates people globally to activate something within themselves.”