Stalled by Chantal, Paperhand Puppet’s whimsical show must go on

It’s been over a month since the Paperhand Puppet Intervention experienced $100,000 in damages from the remnants of Tropical Depression Chantal.

While the storm delayed their summer production, the company is now set to bring their giant puppets to the Forest Theatre this weekend on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus for “The Gift.”

The artists’ theatrical productions blend storytelling with whimsy with an aim to use larger-than-life puppets as tools to inspire creativity and spark conversation, leading the audience to “exercise their empathy muscle.”

“The Gift,” guided by the wisdom of grandmothers, takes the audience on a journey that illuminates how water connects all living beings.

For our Photos of the Week feature, visual journalist Kaitlin McKeown spent time with the company as they worked on recovering from Chantal’s damage. The storm brought about a foot of mud and water into the organization’s riverside studio in Saxapahaw in early July, forcing the company to deal with the complexities of flood recovery.

This feature can be seen in Sunday’s newspaper, as well as in our online Edition. See it at eedition.newsobserver.com.

The organization is accepting donations to cover the losses, including lost performance revenue and destroyed puppets, set pieces, fabric, and other tools.

Donovan Zimmerman, the company’s co-founder and co-director, says the experience has led him to deepen a practice of living in balance with nature.

“I just realize that so many people suffer so much more than we do,” he said. “We just want to keep going with our work and do our best and keep bringing this inspiration, positivity, joy and maybe even healing that we’re trying to create.”

Performances are held weekends from Aug. 15-Sept. 28. See paperhandpuppet.org for details.