"This enchanting, sui generis toy theater piece provides a multilayered, multidimensional portrait of a Chicago in perpetual upheaval and a man who is nearly crushed by it...The timeless 50 minutes of the show’s duration is rather like a magically charged version of the hat from the title: an unexpected mitzvah that shakes the urban blinders off our eyes and forces us to see the uncanny beauty and terror of where we live."
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"Overall, the story is a delight for adults and children alike...Certain sections of the story seem to be drawn out longer than necessary, but it is worth it to see the imagery. It is not until very late in the piece that Iseri’s character speaks. He explains a darker part of the story that would have otherwise been extremely unclear…The toy theatre piece is a miniature reminder of the joy, trials, and winning attitude that, combined, make up New York City."
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"The entire enterprise is so singular, so original, and, in its small-scale way, so daring...Where 'The Paper Hat Game' disappoints is in the narrative department...It coasts for a good long while on its sheer visual invention...In the final analysis, 'The Paper Hat Game' succeeds more as a demonstration of the skill of its creative team than as a fully realized piece of work...Still, shows as original and dazzling as this don't come along every day. I'm betting you'll be mesmerized."
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"An unexpected delight…It’s a transcendent experience as we delve into the psychology of a large and busy metropolis…The highly innovative video and photo motion animation will have you questioning what is real and what is imagined…'The Paper Hat Game' is both joyous in its childlike wonder and emotionally brave and revealing in its storytelling. It is a most unique theatrical experience that will satisfy all your senses."
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"The narrative—which touches on themes of alienation, loneliness, and the difficulties of communication within the urban jungle—is a bit fuzzy and lacks fullness; even the visuals aren’t always immediately accessible. However, the overall combination of video, puppetry, and multiple scenic devices showing the urban landscape from both interior and exterior perspectives is exceptional."
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"The show is crammed with moving images, box scenes, live puppets manipulated by live puppeteers performing before projections, with loud live sounds...The bleacher seats at 3 Legged Dog distance viewers from the miniature happening. Probably a more intimately laid out setting would have helped the audience enjoy the show even more. At a distance, it was charming and moving, disquieting and lively."
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"It’s rare to see anything remotely like 'The Paper Hat Game': a seamless and brilliant performance. The delicacy, virtuosity, and utter freshness of this avant-garde theater work will delight you long after you’ve left the theater...The 50-minute production is visually and acoustically dense—exquisitely so...'The Paper Hat Game' brings a childlike sense of wonder to the mundane."
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“Relying on a dense soundtrack of city noise with only sporadic dialogue, ‘Paper Hat’ toys with a couple of narrative styles but never settles on one (a brief foray into documentary, for instance, jars). The visual artistry, however, delivers. Creator/director Torry Bend and video designer Raquel Salvatella de Prada play with scale, depth, and perspective to make colorful use of limited space...It's a riveting, kinesthetic experience that makes ‘Paper Hat’ worth the ride.”
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