GREENSBORO – The world premier of a new documentary film about Peter Schumann, “An Artist Responds to War: Peter Schumann and the Bread and Puppet Theatre” was given its showing last Sunday afternoon at the Highland Center for the Arts. Created by filmmaker Robbie Leppzer over the past nine years, it is part of a much larger project about Peter Schumann’s whole life and the Bread and Puppet Theatre, which should be completed by next year. Leppzer felt that this forty-five minute preview should be released now, as we are living in perilous times, with growing authoritarianism both at home and abroad, along with dangerous wars in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The event began with the wonderful ragtag Bread and Puppet band playing some classic popular tunes such as the circus performances in the summer at Glover. And then a more solemn group came out holding a series of painted cloth banners, the first depicting a circle of human faces in rows, our common humanity. The second sheet had six small panels illustrating the uses of fire: when we are cold, hungry and need light, and when we can help out neighbors when they are cold, hungry and they need light. The third hanging banner illustrated the dark side of fire in six sections: a tank, an airplane and a bomb, all given to our neighbors whose hands are raised in despair, to attack and kill them. On the fourth sheet the killer makes victory parade with a crowd of people in a triangle, and the questions, “Whose money?” “Who is he?” “Who?” All these powerful works were painted recently by Peter Schumann in his response to wars.
Ed Sunday-Winters, pastor of the United Church of Christ in Greensboro, gave some preliminary remarks about how art really matters more than ever when your own country is dropping bombs on other countries and shredding basic rights. Artists through their work speak out against cruelty and greed, telling the truths that cannot be denied. He thanked Peter for his life-long dedication against the evils of war, for his artistry and courage to strengthen our voices and resolve to be human.
Leppzer then spoke of his extensive research and filming of the nine-year project to document the history of Schumann’s life in particular and Bread and Puppet Theatre in general.
Schumann was born in the Silesia region of Germany in 1934, one of five children. He grew up in the 1930s with a reasonably happy childhood. One of his favorite activities was making puppets and giving theatrical performances with his siblings.
As in all authoritarian regimes, and as a child, he probably did not know the full extent of the horror show that was going on under the Nazi dictatorship. Whatever isolation he had from the effects of the Second World War, which began in 1939, was quite literally shattered by the time he was ten years old in 1944, when Allied bombing by English and American planes began day and night, systematically destroying all German cities and infrastructure. He awoke one night to the sounds of the detonations of bombs falling where he lived. He and his family had to flee to a safer place, and all he could take with him were some of his puppets. This was the deep childhood trauma that, as he said, made the memories of war part of his very bones and shaped his fate to vigorously oppose war for the rest of his life.
Peter migrated to the United States and founded the Bread and Puppet Theatre in New York City in 1963. The film focuses on his specific responses to war as an artist and peace and social justice activist, from Vietnam to wars in Central America, the 78 year old conflict in Palestine, the two Iraqi wars, and the current wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
As a painter he has used powerful graphics combined with imaginative puppets in humorous circus skits with barbed political implications and more archetypal ceremonial pageants in the streets, in theatres and outside in the former gravel pit amphitheater in Glover, where he and his wife Elka moved in the late 60s.
The fabulous Bread and Puppet Museum there contains puppet sculpture from decades of performances, plus a wealth of his beautiful posters and books.
Schumann’s life exemplifies what one person with compelling vision and tireless energy can do to change the world for the better, inspiring others to join and make that happen, sharing in a vibrant community. Bread and Puppet participants have regularly toured in America and many countries around the world, awakening people to the issues that matter most and leading them to the formation of similar theater groups.
After the film was shown, there was a discussion panel by Rev. Sunday-Winters with Leppzer, Schumann’s daughter, Maria Schumann, Hamid Bakar (originally from Palestine) and Deborah Stoleroff of Plainfield. They commented how easy it is to be overwhelmed these days, but to open our hearts to grief, compassion and solidarity with human beings who are suffering every where.
Bakar felt so sad that the world has allowed genocide to happen in Gaza, killing thousands of civilians and leaving the rest without food, water, electricity, housing or medical care, and America has been complicit in this ongoing brutality by Israel since 1948. Maria mentioned her mother Elka, who was the daughter of Scott and Helen Nearing, with a family tradition of protesting war and social injustices going back nearly a century (as well as being prominent in the back to the land movement). Stoleroff emphasized the importance of speaking out against the horrors of the awful world we live in today and to raise our hopes that we can do something to end the nightmares of oppression and war.
Leppzer intended that this film would help us connect more to one another in all ways, to live in cooperation and not competition, to inspire people to be more active and to use art to protest evil.
The screening was a fundraiser to help complete the documentary project of Peter Schumann and the Bread and Puppet Theatre’s 63 years. It is a very moving and professionally made film that should have many future showings. For more information, go online to AnArtistRespondsToWar.com or BreadandPuppetMovie.com or TurningTide.com.
David K. Rodgers
David K. Rodgers is a writer, mason and card carrying dilettante, who dabbles and babbles in art. He has lived in East Craftsbury for the past 40 years.
