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The stage at the Emerson Paramount Center is primed for a story of epic proportions. “The Life & Times of Michael K,” produced by the Baxter Theater Center in South Africa and Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus of Düsseldorf, Germany, in collaboration with Handspring Puppet Company, also of South Africa, follows the life journey of a man bringing his dying mother back to her birthplace against all odds during a fictional South African civil war.
Andrew Buckland and the Michael K puppet. PHOTO: Fiona McPherson
The story, inspired by a Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name by J. M. Coetzee and adapted and directed for the stage by Lara Foot, is an epic on the scale of the Greek poem “Odyssey.” But it’s made even more fantastical by the execution. Michael, animals and other characters in the production are depicted using puppetry.
“We have actors and puppeteers on stage and video, multimedia,” said Carlo Daniels, the primary actor playing Michael K. “So, it’s quite a visual feast.”
The actors work in tandem with master puppeteers throughout the show. This was Daniels’ first experience using puppetry and he describes it as a highly communal way of working. It often takes multiple people to control the puppet, with Daniels reciting dialogue and reacting to each scene.
Actors and master puppeteers work together to bring the character of Michael K to life. PHOTO: Fiona McPherson
“It unites us all,” said Daniels. “It brings the audience and the actors, the tellers of the story, together. The puppets provide the perfect balance of care and grace to the story.”
Over the course of the story, Michael K. encounters various challenges such as not being able to procure travel permits under the martial law in place during the civil war, a forced tenure at a work camp imposed by the government, near-starvation while trekking through the mountains and more.
“Through his journey and through all these trials and tests he discovers himself and discovers the strength within him,” said Daniels. “He gets pushed to the limits of his strength.”
The story of Michael K’s journey is told through the stunning artistry of the Handspring Puppet Company. PHOTO: Fiona McPherson
Coetzee wrote the novel during South African apartheid, but the themes of migration, displacement, war, racism and power dynamics ring true to a contemporary audience as well.
Theater lovers can dive even further into the material by participating in ArtsEmerson’s Play Reading Book Club. During the course of four weeks, the group will read the play, see the stage production, hear from artists involved in the process and discuss it together.
“The Life & Times of Michael K” is running at the Emerson Paramount Center Jan. 31 through Feb. 9.
“I hope audiences can reflect on life while watching our production, reflect on how we treat other people,” said Daniels. “It’s a big story, but the story consists of a lot of small moments where we can make a difference.”
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