Before you grab a flashlight, turn off the lights and start making phallic shadow puppets on the wall, have a peep at these shots from One-Handed Witch, the silent film with shadow puppets and live musical score. Photos by @photosfromthetrail
First off, THANKS FOR COMING! One-Handed Witch killed ... and it popped various professional records. Who?
🔥 Two sell out shows!
👀 Seven instruments played.
🌪 One centerstage unicycle wipeout.
Unlike previous theater works by Samson Y Hiss, One-Handed Witch is a silent film, but it has bookends: an act introducing the film and an act closing the film; a prologue and cut scene if you will. Follow the photo story, where permitted. One-Handed Witch was screened with a live musical score performed by a band witches at PianoFight Oakland, March 2022.
At the Saturday 7 PM show the elusive and mysterious, Cindy Webster, graded the stage with her singing musical saw thoroughly preparing the audience for a chopped off limb or two.
Clothed in a purple Victorian witch’s gown, the Hiss introduced the film with a prologue of tunes from the upcoming silent film.
Short a few instruments for a world record, the Hiss played kazoo, drum, squeeze horn, bike horn and yes; floor piano all while riding unicycle.
Dressed as a fortune teller, Paul Dab, the unflappable electric organist, performed all the one-handed organ parts with quill-like precision and poise.
The main act, One-Handed Witch, the silent film with shadow puppets and live musical score. This is what everyone came to see. This is what everyone screamed for. And this is what everyone left talking about.
Post credits, the Hiss wasn’t done. The last act, the final bookend, was a group performance. Hex Bugs on a snare drum, marbles in a brass bowl on a tilted turntable, and a dragon floatie on the Hiss, on a unicycle. See next pictures.
The final act, ended with the Hiss throwing lacrosse balls at a piece of sheet metal while riding a unicycle with a giant dragon pool floatie. It was lightning.
Thank you, Hunny Bunny Burlesque for the wicked witch costumes, and Extras for your backwood and Pacific Islander acting.
Thank you, Paul Dab for mastering all the one-handed organ parts and dressing like Zoltar.
Thank you, Rita Deiola and Sara Draghi for the shadow puppets and film production. With storyboards, sketches, and musical cues, you created the One-Handed Witch world with light and shadow.
One-Handed Witch is a silent film of savagery and survival. It was written and scored by the Hiss with shadow puppets and film production by Rita Deiola and Sara Draghi in Italy. It is a first collaboration with film, shadow puppets and live music.
The silent film will be released to worldwide audiences this summer.
-Samson
