Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms
Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms was awarded a 2026 Jim Henson Foundation grant and a 2026 Creativity Grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms was awarded a 2026 Jim Henson Foundation grant and a 2026 Creativity Grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
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“An intricate, evocative tour-de-force…"
- DC Theater Scene |
“★★★★★ It's exquisite."
- TheatreBloom |
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70 minutes. No intermission.
Available for touring engagements. Tech rider available upon request. |
Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms is a darkly comedic puppet show set in the not-too-distant Now when nations are at war, bad things happen to good people, and dropped toast always lands butter side down. Life is illogical but you know what isn't? Mechanisms! The Lever! The Pulley! And, O! Hail the Wheel and Axle! In Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms, there is, at the center of the Earth, an unseen boiler room full of machines and the semi-capable technicians who operate them. Told with puppetry, simple machines, and physical theater, two workers perform their endless tasks, troubleshoot mechanical failures, and struggle to maintain productivity quotas under the watchful gaze of an all-seeing, unknowable foreman.
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“REALLY QUITE A LOT OF MECHANISMS is an intricate, evocative tour-de-force of construction, joinery, scope, and theatricism.”
- Cybele Pomeroy | DC Theater Arts
"★★★★★...It’s exquisite."
“There’s a beauty and an attention to detail in their puppet-artistry that must be seen; it’s exquisite ... It’s a fantastical fun journey; well-worth exploring, experiencing, and absorbing!”
- Amanda Gunther | TheatreBloom
“REALLY QUITE A LOT OF MECHANISMS is … a spectacular show in which to enjoy an interesting plot, wonderful music, and the artistic excellence of two masterful craftspeople and puppeteers.”
- Herb Merrick | MD Theatre Guide
- Cybele Pomeroy | DC Theater Arts
"★★★★★...It’s exquisite."
“There’s a beauty and an attention to detail in their puppet-artistry that must be seen; it’s exquisite ... It’s a fantastical fun journey; well-worth exploring, experiencing, and absorbing!”
- Amanda Gunther | TheatreBloom
“REALLY QUITE A LOT OF MECHANISMS is … a spectacular show in which to enjoy an interesting plot, wonderful music, and the artistic excellence of two masterful craftspeople and puppeteers.”
- Herb Merrick | MD Theatre Guide
AWARDS:
Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant - 2026
Creativity Grant from the Maryland State Arts Council - 2026
Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant - 2026
Creativity Grant from the Maryland State Arts Council - 2026
Original poster by David Plunkert.
