THE TRAGICAL COMEDY OR COMICAL TRAGEDY OF MR. PUNCH
Creative Director, Video Designer, Writer
Rogue Artists Ensemble • 2008 • Los Angeles, CA
A dark, dreamlike exploration of memory and violence, Mr. Punch combined live performance, puppetry, and comic book visuals in a haunting adaptation of the Neil Gaiman graphic novel.
LA Drama Critics Circle Awards
Winner for Writing (Adaptation)
Winner for CGI/Video
Winner for Puppet/Mask Design
Nomination for Scenic Design
LA Stage Ovation Awards - Winner for Sound Design
REVIEWS
“Cawelti’s direction triumphantly mixes traditional puppeteering, shadow puppets, masks, video projections and more into a thriving whole.” - Variety
"The amazing design elements set a new standard..." - LA Times
"Director Sean Cawelti and the Rogue Artists Ensemble have created a darkly wondrous work of multi-media theater." SPLASH MAGAZINE
Backstage West Garland Awards honorable mentions:
scenic design
sound design
make-up design
Adapted from the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Mr. Punch is a surreal, emotionally charged journey into the fractured memories of a man revisiting the seaside puppet theater of his youth.
Directed and written by Sean Cawelti, the production translated the story’s layered, nonlinear structure into a rich theatrical language blending puppetry, large scale masks, stylized live performance, and dynamic projections inspired by McKean’s iconic illustrations.
The show moved fluidly between past and present, fantasy and reality, using striking visual design to evoke the unsettling energy of Punch and Judy violence as a metaphor for family trauma. The result was a haunting, dreamlike experience that explored the power of storytelling and the cost of forgetting.