Philadelphia, PA
January, 2020
review by Steve Abrams
A wordless, tabletop, solo show embodies the quality of lyrical irony.
Originally published in The Puppetry Journal (Winter 2020 Vol. 71 No. 1 by Puppeteers of America)
“Tic Tac: The Hero of Time,” created and performed by puppeteer Omar Alvarez from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is one of the best shows | have seen in the last five years, Many thanks to the International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) for showcasing this truly excellent work.
The legendary Russian puppeteer Sergei Obrazstov described some of his own works as having a quality of ‘lyrical irony.’ “Tic Tac,” a wordless, tabletop, solo show embodies the quality of lyrical irony. It is a deeply poetic, well-paced work full of little surprises and shrewd observations.
The brochure beautifully sums up the show:
“Every morning, Tic Tac, an antique alarm clock, winds up his beloved collection of clocks, within which happy moments are treasured and safeguarded. Out of the blue he comes under threat after receiving a tempting gift from a modern phone, the ambitious Wifi. Behind its innocent appearance, the gift hides dangerous interests that will put our hero’s existence in jeopardy. Omar Alvarez’s new silent puppet show combines delicate puppets created from everyday objects, with stop-motion projections, presenting a romantic adventure full of emotion, humor and visual poetry.”
Puppets in Review 