Jaron Aviv Hollander is among the class of Gen Xers who grew up watching \u201cThe Muppet Show\u201d in the late 1970s, laughing at Fozzie Bear\u2019s jokes, feeling the urgency of Muppet News Flash, itching for chaos in Swedish Chef\u2019s kitchen.<\/p>\n
But the California native who\u2019s now at UConn working on a puppet arts<\/a> degree, says that while Jim Henson ended up a professional influence, there\u2019s one big difference between the two of them: \u201cI wanted to be<\/em> Gonzo rather than perform with a Gonzo puppet. I wanted to be<\/em> the performer.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, Hollander \u201924 MFA wanted to do things like get shot out of a cannon, recite Shakespeare suspended in midair, and yodel while riding a motorized pogo stick \u2013 and for 30 years he did just that as a circus professional who performed, imagined, taught, and created physical theater and comedy throughout the world.<\/p>\n Like so many in his generation, though, the pandemic brought reevaluation, a turn toward puppetry, and the realization that, maybe, just perhaps, Pigs in Space was superior and could launch the next phase of his career.<\/p>\n Hilarity ensues even during alien invasion<\/strong><\/p>\n Hollander says he came to UConn with a rough idea for his MFA project, one borne during the time of social distancing when he thought about doing a production entirely in hazmat suits, perhaps at a drive-in theater where audience members would listen to the show on the radio through car speakers.<\/p>\n Thinking about radio prompted thoughts of Orson Welles\u2019 1938 broadcast<\/a> of \u201cWar of the Worlds,\u201d he says, and the idea of turning it into a comedy using the premise in the Italian play, \u201cThe Servant of Two Masters,\u201d to provide humor.<\/p>\n \u201cWar of the Worlds 2023: A Servant of Two Networks\u201d<\/a> is the latest show from Connecticut Reperetory Theatre<\/a> and is showing in the Nafe Katter Theatre through Dec. 10. Hollander is creator and director, along with puppet designer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a complex story \u2013 aliens land, they attack, and then go away – but it\u2019s one that\u2019s entertaining and fun,\u201d Hollander says. \u201cThere are some parts that are directly referential to the H.G. Wells book, and there\u2019s a nod to Orson Welles\u2019 radio play, which reportedly caused panic among listeners who took it as a news report.<\/p>\n \u201cNewspapers overstated the panic,\u201d he continues, \u201cbecause they were threatened by radio, and Orson Welles played into that.\u201d<\/p>\n This was about 18 months after the Hindenburg disaster, Hollander explains, and the start of breaking news and today what\u2019s become the 24-hour news cycle.<\/p>\n Hollander\u2019s version of \u201cWar of the Worlds\u201d inserts the media as a comedic device: One of his characters has a job at both MsCBD (what audiences will recognize as MSNBC) and DOG News (or, FOX News).<\/p>\n Serving both outlets in the covering of an alien invasion brings hilarity.<\/p>\n With six human actors and about a dozen puppets of various types \u2013 including aliens E-Max and Zurn and a set that comes to life; yes, it kind of breathes \u2013 \u201cWar of the Worlds 2023\u201d has no written script, save one or two monologues, a prologue, and an epilog.<\/p>\n Hollander says he\u2019s worked with the cast since the spring to sharpen their improv and comedic skills, which means they take his basic plot points and bring their own creativity to the show.<\/p>\n \u201cImprov seems scary and challenging, but I find it much more comforting to perform this kind of format because you can\u2019t blow a line. And there\u2019s enough structure in this story that you can always get back on track if you\u2019ve gone far off script,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of comedy, it\u2019s recoverable. With improv, nothing can go wrong. It\u2019s incredibly liberating as a comedic form.\u201d<\/p>\n For the last 15 years, Hollander has directed circus productions, bringing together performers of different disciplines \u2013 think contortionists, acrobats, aerialists, and clowns \u2013 to tell a story that focuses on the visual. In a theater production, the story itself takes a bigger role.<\/p>\n \u201cBut there are some interesting similarities between the two as well, especially with this production,\u201d he says. \u201cTake, for instance, the costumes. In both, there\u2019s a lot of focus on how the costumes function, how the actors move in them, and how durable they are. That\u2019s incredibly important in the circus with the aerial equipment but in theater, too. In this play, the costumes help tell the story.\u201d<\/p>\n While Hollander focuses on practical things like that, he says he likes to give his performers a stake in the show, asking them to contribute their creativity \u2013 like how they all collaborated to write the scripted components of \u201cWar of the Worlds 2023.\u201d<\/p>\n He says he aims to give actors the \u201cabsolute minimum amount of structure.\u201d It\u2019s more rewarding for him and fulfilling for them.<\/p>\n \u201cBesides,\u201d he adds, nodding to a little purple creature named Gonzo, \u201cthere\u2019s joy in absurdity.\u201d<\/p>\n