“UNRAVELING” by Shadow Girls Cult with Puppet Pants
Schedule
Sat, 18 Apr, 2026 at 07:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
10 Mayo St, Portland, ME, United States, Maine 04101 | Portland, ME
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Saturday, April 18 at 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM), 120-minutes with intermissionTickets are available for $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and $30 for preferred seating (pay-what-you-can available)
Recommended ages 16+, mature themes, shadow puppet representation of violence and blood in one segment
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Shadow Cult Girls - “UNRAVELING”
Henson Grant-awarded duo Shadow Girls Cult presents their newest series of shadow vignettes, "UNRAVELING." Using a mind-bending blend of light techniques, old-school overhead projectors, shadow masks and hundreds of intricate and layered shadow puppets, SGC creates short animated films (live!) for audiences around the U.S.
Infused with elements of sci-fi, film noir, classic horror, and surrealism, "UNRAVELING" explores the inexplicable moments in time when we, or the world around us, seem to come apart. The show begins with themes of yearning, curiosity and wonder, moves through fractured identity and grief, and ends with a dream sequence. Seamlessly blended, "UNRAVELING" touches on the echo of a question: is the world (and by extension, are we) destined to always, always come apart at the seams?
Director's Note:
"UNRAVELING" explores themes of isolation, longing, and fractured identity through a surreal lens. These vignettes were created to be genre-bending: sci-fi, film noir, horror, poetry, shadow puppetry, animation. Every story is connected by a thread, and the thread is unraveling.
As queer creators, we see ourselves in these characters: tragic, powerful, full of potential. UNRAVELING is a reminder that even the most broken parts of ourselves are stories unfolding, and they deserve to be told.
Opening performance by Puppet Pants:
A wordless marionette variety show with a slightly odd feel featuring clowns, monsters, and other mysterious creatures that perform tricks and interact with the audience to an all original soundtrack. The Atlanta Fringe Festival called it “weird, whimsical, and oddly moving.”
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Shadow Girls Cult is an award-winning queer shadow puppetry and projections duo based out of Seattle, WA. Using overhead projectors, adapted camera irises, 2-D shadow puppets, human silhouettes, and other analog technology, they create puppet magic for audiences all over the U.S. Their full-length shadow show “UNRAVELING” was awarded the 2025 Henson Foundation Workshop Grant & 4Culture’s 2025 Project Grant, and was recently voted “Most Surprising Performance” & “Fan Favorite” at the 2025 Asheville Fringe Festival. In 2025, SGC also made their debut at The Center for Puppetry Arts, and were teaching artists in residency at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, and the Bright Ideas Project in Vermont.
Founded in Atlanta in 2024, Puppet Pants is committed to providing top quality marionette entertainment for audiences of all ages, and has performed at the New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival, Puppeteers of America 2024 South East Festival, DragonCON, Asheville and Atlanta Fringe, as well as music festivals, private events and independent tours of the United States.
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Where is it happening?
10 Mayo St, Portland, ME, United States, Maine 04101Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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