Artsource
THEATRE ®
The Music Center’s Study Guide to the Performing Arts
TRANSFORMATION
ENDURING VALUES
ARTISTIC PROCESSES
TRADITIONAL CLASSICAL
1. CREATING (Cr)
CONTEMPORARY
2. PERFORMING, PRESENTING, PRODUCING (Pr)
EXPERIMENTAL
3. RESPONDING (Re)
MULTI-MEDIA
4. CONNECTING (Cn)
THE POWER OF NATURE
FREEDOM & OPPRESSION
THE HUMAN FAMILY
Title of Work:
luthier (a maker of stringed instruments) who crafts his
Voice of the Wood
masterpiece, a cello, from the wood of an ancient tree
Creators:
in his yard. The night of Carnival, he challenges the
Eugene Friesen: Composer/Sound Designer/Performer Robert Faust: Director/Maskmaker/Performer
musicians of Venice to make his cello “sing.” A very
Background Information:
it is not easy. The play tells the story of his quest to
Voice of the Wood is an artistic collaboration between vet-
discover the touch that will unlock the “voice of the
eran artists Robert Faust and Eugene Friesen. Robert
wood.”
proud and famous cellist comes forward and tries, but
Faust is the founder and artistic director of Faustwork Mask Theater, whose company presents The Mask
Creative Process of the Artist or Culture
Messenger, a captivating theatre piece that uses a variety
The commissioning of Voice of the Wood drew upon the
of expressive masks to illuminate and comment on the
specific talents of Eugene Friesen as cellist, composer
human condition. Eugene Friesen is Cello Man in a
and sound designer with Robert Faust as maskmaker,
spellbinding performance with stories, songs, masks and
mask theatre artist and former dancer. Their expertise
inventive techniques on cello and electric cello. Faust’s
was organic to the roles and style of the story. They
extensive professional credits include work with leading
began by exploring each element of each page of the
companies such as Pilobolus Dance Theatre. He has
children’s book to see how scenes could be expanded
performed worldwide in venues such as The Sydney
upon with movement, dialogue and music. The book’s
Opera House, The John F. Kennedy Center for the
illustrations became the aesthetic for the set design and
Performing Arts and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
masks. Large canvas pages were painted in the style of
Friesen has performed internationally as a soloist and
the book’s illustrator, Frédéric Clément, to create the
chamber musician. As a member of the Paul Winter
large book set piece. Animal masks of the cat, fox and
Consort, Eugene won a Grammy Award in 1994. For
lizard appearing as carnival masks in the book’s
Voice of the Wood, Eugene Friesen is composer and sound
illustrations
designer; Robert Faust is director and maskmaker.
actual characters in the
Together they adapted the script for this imaginative,
play.
original production, which was commissioned by the
(Continued on page 2) Vermont
Music Center Education Division.
About The Artwork: Voice of the Wood is a play adapted from the exquisite children’s book by Claude Clément, and performed by Robert Faust and Eugene Friesen. A two-character piece utilizing masks and music, the story begins with a
became
Photo: Faustwork Mask Theater
“This is a magical cello. Only the most gifted fingers, and only a heart in tune with the voice of the wood, can play it.” From the book: Voice of the Wood by Claude Clément