I Felt So Free
May 2007
Marty is a man. Wendy is a puppet. Loneliness is a feeling. And freedom is a loneliness.
Nothing really matters. Anyone can see.
Nothing really matters to me.
But Marty isn't nothing. He's free.
Eric Bland adapted a scene from a longer work to create the short play I Felt So Free for The Tiny Theater Festival. Organized by the Ontological-Hysteric and Brick theaters, the festival sought "tiny" plays, each on a 6' x 6' x 6' stage.
I Felt So Free is a claustrophobic interaction between Marty and a woman he had an affair with, Wendy, portrayed by a life-sized felt puppet created by Abernathy Bland. Their small space "runneth over" with humorous, awkward, loving conversation (not to mention the puppeteer, also located in the cramped space.) The puppet, her mechanized voice, and their tiny stage raise secondary questions while throwing this man's feelings into relief.
CAST & CREW
Written & Directed by Eric Bland
Scott Eckert as Marty
Eric Bland as The Puppeteer/Wendy
Puppet Creator: Abernathy Bland
Tech Operator: Rachel Sorey
Sound Designer: Scott Eckert