“Currently Franklin: The Story of a Paper Boy”

BOOKING & INFORMATION PACKETDESCRIPTION: SebastienneMundheim’s White BoxTheatre presents “CurrentlyFranklin: The Story of a PaperBoy.” The show stretches theaesthetics of storytelling,illuminates history, and entertains. Mundheim isknown for synthesizingcomplex, sophisticatedacademic content into lyricaleducational performances.

The Philadelphia Inquirersays “Currently Franklin” is: “… full of charm... informationand ideas. Suitable forchildren, as well as everybodyelse … it is a pleasure to seeso much imagination...”

The Philadelphia Weeklycommends the show’s “ …Brilliant set work … ingeniousinterpretative movement …wonderfully creative puppetry.”

VENUE REQUIREMENTS:1. Support playful, smart,interdisciplinary experimentalperformance2. Present work to familyaudiences3. Have a 30 x 30 ft stage area(or a little bit smaller)4. Have the capacity to hang alightweight grid5. Seat up to 200 people

FEE: $1500 - $3500

CONTACT:Sebastienne Mundheim(215) 668-2718

Thank you for your interest in booking “Currently Franklin: The Story of a Paper Boy…,”White Box Theatre’s most recent show, hailed by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “… fullof charm... information and ideas.” Attached please find some press materials relating tothe theatre production “Currently Franklin.”

Created by Philadelphia-based artist Sebastienne Mundheim, this show followsfounding father Benjamin Franklin from his early childhood through many of hisaccomplishments as printer, inventor, and diplomat. The show explores an Americanicon, American values and the aesthetics of storytelling. It uses a set made entirely ofpaper, dancing printing presses, giant buckle shoes, ethereal movers, comic actors,light and shadow play, and an eclectic soundscape. Through a familiar story we findoriginal, captivating, subtle insights and poetry. Originally created for children, “CurrentlyFranklin” appeals to all ages, selling-out to family audiences at the Philadelphia LiveArts Festival 2006 and the University of Pennsylvania’s Rotunda 2006.

Mundheim-- a writer, director, designer, performer, educator, and recently filmmaker--has created 17 original performances commissioned by institutions including theUniversity of Pennsylvania and The Philadelphia Museum of Art. She is known forsynthesizing complex, sophisticated academic content into lyrical educationalperformances. Using sculptural props, shadow puppets, dancers, actors, and music, herperformances teach lessons and ask questions. Her shows have been performed locallyand internationally. Mundheim also brings 15 years experience as an arts educator,creating innovative programs for youth and adults in universities, cultural organizationsand community groups

Creating dialogue and exploring ideas through arts education programs is an importantpart of White Box Theatre’s mission. To that end, we encourage collaboration with thehost organization to create more educational, interactive experiences in conjunction withthe performance. Please contact us to receive a performance DVD and learn moreabout booking “Currently Franklin.” You may also visit www.sebastiennemundheim.comfor more information. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY, “CURRENTLY FRANKLIN”

DESCRIPTIONWhen Benjamin Franklin was a young boy, he loved the sea and longed to be a sailor, but hisfather didn’t want Benjamin to drown at sea, so Benjamin Franklin had to find the curiosity andadventure of the sea someplace else … Franklin fluidly adapts as he follows the currents thattake him from one environment to the next.

Sebastienne Mundheim’s lyrical story of America’s most well-known founding father followsFranklin from his early childhood through many of his accomplishments as printer, inventor, anddiplomat. A set made entirely of paper, dancing printing presses, giant buckle shoes, etherealmovers, comic actors, light and shadow play, and an eclectic soundscape use this Americanicon to explore the aesthetics of storytelling and ask questions about American identity. Througha familiar story we find original, captivating, and subtle insights and poetry.

This show is great for kids and adults!

HISTORYMundheim created this performance through a commission from Franklin and Marshall College(F &M) while she was an F&M artist-in-residence, 2005-2006. She worked with members from alocal Lancaster theater company, The Fulton Family Ensemble, to workshop and perform thefirst iteration of this show. That iteration premiered and performed ten times, at the PhilipsMuseum, Franklin and Marshall College, 2006. Later, the show was adapted for touring byMundheim and Barry Kornhauser, director of the Fulton Family Ensemble. That adaptation wasperformed over 50 times, by the Fulton Family Ensemble in February-May 2006, throughoutPennsylvania and received enthusiastic reviews from every teacher who brought his/her class tosee the performance (see website for teacher endorsements).

In the summer of 2006, Mundheim developed the performance with local Philadelphiaperformers including: Aaron Mumaw, physical theater artist and founding member of NewParadise Laboratories, Kate Carr and Karin Bookbinder, Philadelphia-based dance artists,original cast member Charlie Delmarcelle, and sound designer James Sugg of Pig Iron TheaterCompany.

In the latest iteration, Mundheim focuses on the role of dance, physical theatre, and lighting inthe art of storytelling. This iteration of Currently Franklin has been performed at thePhiladelphia Live Arts Festival (2006), University of Pennsylvania’s Rotunda (November 2006)and has been invited as a performance-in-residence at the Lights of Liberty Museum (Fall2007).

This show proves Mundheim’s belief that aesthetic and artistic rigor coupled with a sparse, clearnarrative, can create an intelligent, magical experience, effective with adults and children,encouraging shared curiosity between the two.

BIO & RESUME: SEBASTIENNE MUNDHEIM

SEBASTIENNE MUNDHEIM is a writer, director, designer, performer, educator,and recently filmmaker. She has created 17 original commissioned performancesShe is known for synthesizing complex, sophisticated academic content into lyrical,educational performances geared toward young audiences, and appealing to allages. Using sculptural props, shadow puppets, dancers, actors, and music, herperformances teach lessons and ask questions. Her shows have been performedlocally and internationally. She has also been a community artist/educator since1992, creating programming for universities, cultural organizations and communitygroups. She received her BA/BFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990, andher EdM from Harvard in 2000.

EDUCATION

2000 Harvard University, Cambridge MA, EdM.1990 University Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. BA & BFA. English and Painting.

Additional course-work training:1989-2007 Shotokan Karate of America. Practitioner/leader. Black belt.2004 Society of Fight Directors of America. Certification in open-hand stage combat.2001-2003 Dance Theater Camp, Philadelphia, PA. Invited participant/artist exchange.1999 Kitchen Summer Institute: Mixing Media, Telling Tales. NYC. Performance workshops (200 hours).1992 University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Graduate School Business, Non-profit and Arts management.____________________________________________________________________________

PERFORMANCE

Commissions being proposed/developed:

2007-2010 Laurel Hill Cemetery: Urban Mourning Project. Artistic director for performance.2007-2010 Chemical Heritage Foundation: Alchemy and Science. Consultant for development ofperformance in conjunction with exhibition.2007-2008 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. Commissioned New Work: Title TBA.

(Other projects being discussed with Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities, and the ThaddeusStevens Museum).

2007-2008 “Currently Franklin: The Story of a Paper Boy…” Presented by Light of Liberty, Phila., PA. June-December 2007 (anticipated 30-50 shows). Touring to Stonington Opera House, Deer Isle Maine, July 2007(5 shows).

17 original, commissioned, interdisciplinary works completed:

2005-2006 “Currently Franklin: The Story of a Paper Boy…” Commissioned by Franklin and MarshallCollege. Performed: Phillips Museum, Lancaster, PA (10 shows January 2006); Live Arts Festival, Phila., PA(6 shows September 2006); University of Pennsylvania, Rotunda, Phila., PA (13 shows, November 2006)also adapted for a national school tour, commissioned by Fulton Family Theater, Lancaster, PA (70 showsFebruary-May 2006).

2005-2006 “A Potable Joyce Film” Adaptation of live performance. Invited to air: WHYY-TV 12.Funded: Lenfest Foundation, Dolfinger McMahon. $35,000.

1998-2005 “A Potable Joyce: A Watered-Down Version of Ulysses” Originally commissioned by theRosenbach Museum and Library, Phila., PA. Performed over 100 times: Excellence in Arts and Education,Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg, 2001; Philadelphia Fringe Festival, 2002; Bloomsday events, andschool groups, Rosenbach Museum and Library, 2001-2006; Five-week national tour of Ireland. Performed:Dublin City Public Library (16 shows); Galway Public Library (11 shows); Fermoy Theatre (11 shows).Invited/funded by Ministry of Arts and Culture, Ireland.

2005 “What is a Wall? The Story of the Berlin Wall” Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania. Phila.,PA (10 shows).2003 “South by SouthEast” Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania (10 shows).2002 “Giorgio De Chirico and the Myth of Ariadne.” Philadelphia Museum of Art. Phila., PA (10 shows).2002 “Printmaking in Paris: Century Nineteen: Story Going Round, Revolution … the Machine.” Arthur RossGallery, University of Pennsylvania (10 shows).2001 “Under the Hat: The Life and Work of Poet Marianne Moore” Rosenbach Museum and Library (10shows).2001 “Were the Sunny Sombreros Somber … Somehow?: 20th-century Mexican Revolution Painters” ArthurRoss Gallery, University of Pennsylvania (15 shows).1995-2000 NINE ADDITIONAL SHOWS NOT LISTED. Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania (90performances).

PARTICIPATION IN THE WORKS OF OTHER ARTISTS

2006 “House,” Kate Watson-Wallace. Dramaturge, performer, visual arts/concept consultant. PhiladelphiaLive Arts Festival.2005 “The Mentalist,” Kate Watson-Wallace. Concept consultant. Philadelphia Fringe Festival.2004 “Multi-Family Garage Sale,” Bald Mermaids and Mark O ‘Malley. Performer. Philadelphia FringeFestival.2004 “Don Juan in Nirvana” New Paradise Laboratories. Performance development. Philadelphia Live ArtsFestival.2003 “Stupor,” New Paradise Laboratories. Performer. Arden Theatre, Phila., PA; Andy Warhol Museum,Pittsburg, PA.2001 “The Tempest,” Lucidity Suitcase/Thaddeus Philips. Set-design consultant, construction. LaMama,NYC.2001 “Once,” Brat Productions. Concept consultant, set design. Mum Puppetheatre, Phila., PA.1999 “Puppet,” The Kitchen. Co-writer/Director, Set-design/construction, performer. NYC.1997 “Eye-95,” Brat Productions. Large puppet design/construction. Collective Conscious, NYC; Five Spot &Ruba Club, Phila., PA.1995 “Mushroom Festival” Big Picture Alliance. Creative director of film/parade project. Chicago Children’sFilm Festival Award.____________________________________________________________________________

TEACHING/ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE/PROGRAM AND CURRICULUM DESIGN:

1994-2007 Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania. Program/curriculum design/implementation.1998-2006 Rosenbach Museum and Library. Museum Education Consultant.2005-2006 Franklin and Marshall College. Adjunct Professor, Performance as Pedagogy.2004, 2006 Appel Farm Arts and Music. Workshop Leader and Artist-in-Residence.2003 Latvian Community Center, Newtown Square, PA. Instructor: “Latvian Storytelling Pilot Project.”2001 “What’s Cooking.” Web Project Consultant, children’s TV pilot cooking show.1994-2001 Fleisher Art Memorial. Community Partnerships Coordinator and Artist-in-Residence.1994-1999 Young Audiences of Eastern Pennsylvania, Phila., PA. Roster Artist/Teacher.1994-1998 Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Outreach Artist-in-Residence.

1997 EMMA Productions, Phila., PA. Rostered Team-Building Leader.1995-1996 Big Picture Alliance, “Festival” Project, Phila., PA. Creative Director.1994-95 Children's Hospital, Oncology Ward, University of Pennsylvania. Resident Artist, Child LifeProgram.1992-1997 Country Day Creative Arts Program. Teaching Artist coordinating exhibitions, festivals andsummer arts programs for 7-14 year olds.1993-1999 Young Audiences, New Orleans & Philadelphia. Outreach Artist.1992-1994 New Orleans Public Schools, Arts Connection Program. Teaching Artist-in-Residence, K-8.1992-93 Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA. Instructor.1992 Arts Reach, New Orleans, LA. Resident Artist.1992 Arts Council of New Orleans, Job Training Program, New Orleans. LA. Instructor.1991 Moonstone: Education through the Arts, Phila., PA. Instructor.

LECTURER/WORKSHOP LEADER:

2006 Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA Lecturer/Presenter: “Educational Performance”2003-2004 Bryn Mawr College, Phila., PA. Lecture: “Creating Interdisciplinary Arts Programs.”2003 Appel Farm Arts and Music, Elmer, NJ. Lecture: “Creating Interdisciplinary Performance.”2002 University of Pennsylvania, Kelley Writers’ House, Phila., PA. Lecturer: “Fringing the Page,”seminar on presenting text through alternative media.2002 Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts: Continuing Legal Education Program.Panelist: “Storytelling Techniques for Litigators,” commented on presentation skills of Philadelphia triallawyers for 300 CLE students.2002 Museums and the Web Conference, Boston, MA. Co-presenter: “Interpreting live performance intoCDROM.”1999 University of Pennsylvania, Kelley Writers’ House.Lecturer: “Art in Our Lives,” lecture on community based art.1998 Pennsylvania Arts and Education Conference, Phila., PA. Presentation: “Exquisite Books: LinkingVisual Arts and Literature.”1998-1999 University of the Arts, Graduate School for Arts in Education, Phila., PA.Lecturer/Workshop Leader: Developing interdisciplinary arts programs focus: writing and story-telling.1998 Community College of Philadelphia, Education Department, Phila., PA. Lecturer/Workshop Leader: “Exquisite Books: Arts and Literature.”1998 “Best Practices”: Philadelphia Public Schools, Furness Cluster, Phila., PA.Presenter: “Demonstrating successful techniques in interdisciplinary arts programming.”1997 National Arts Education Conference, New Orleans, LA. Presenter: “Ethnography and Education.”Journal Publication: “An Autobiographical Account of Collaboration: Expanding Frameworks BetweenResearch and Practice,” Collaborative Inquiry In a Post-modern Era: A Cat’s Cradle, vol. 2, 2 1997.1997 Pennsylvania Arts and Education Conference, Scranton, PA.Presenter: “Forming Collaboration Between Arts Institutions and Community Groups.”1996 Pennsylvania Alliance for the Arts, Harrisburg, PA.Co-presenter: “Ethnography and Education: Linking Theory and Practice.”1996 Girard Medical Center: Panel Discussion on Community Arts, Phila., PA. Panelist.

RESEARCH AND EVALUATION:

2001-2002 Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Wilmington, DE. Consultant/ Outside Evaluator for high-school outreach partnership.2000-2001 William Penn Foundation, Phila., PA. Research Consultant: 10 portraits best-practicesmuseum/school partnerships. 2001 Fleisher Art Memorial, Phila, PA. Evaluator for Arts Outreach program in public schools.1994-1995 Moonstone, Education Through the Arts, Phila., PA. Documentation/Assessment: for Pew-funded Arts & Education Development Program: Curriculum linked interdisciplinary arts program.

IMAGES, “CURRENTLY FRANKLIN”Performance, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, 2006

IMAGES, “CURRENTLY FRANKLIN”Installation of set, Philips Museum, Lancaster, PA 2006

EXCERPTED QUOTES IN SUPPORT OF “CURRENTLY FRANKLIN”

“ …Sebastienne is a brilliant performance artist, a genuine visionary. No one else is doinganything like her fusion of movement, puppets, props, narration, and music, least of all when thesubjects are very difficult artists and abstract ideas. And no one else I know has her analytic andimagistic and verbal and bodily intelligence, all woven together to amazingly illuminating effect.I've LEARNED from her performances.

I can tell you that few scholars and no artists I've ever known have absorbed what I had to sayon their subject with her acuity, and responded to my ideas with such penetration.

…This is a gorgeous show …

…Kids are entranced, and grown-ups are lifted. The performances move with a kind of magicthat is as captivating as it is instructive. She is truly special…”

- Michael Zuckerman, University of Pennsylvania History Department, Franklin Scholar, 2006.

“ …[U]nquestionably one of the most creative and engaging pieces of theatre I have everseen…. while the individual elements of Mundheim’s shows are familiar---puppetry, simplelighting and sound, dance and movement, handcrafted props, voice, masks, poetry andnarrative---it is their seamless and unexpected combination, as well as her wholly originalaesthetic sensibility, that create a sense of surprise and revelation. These visual and materialeffects are anchored in a subtle and intelligent script that is both accessible and challenging tochildren and adults … I highly recommend it.”

- Eliza Jane Reilly, Director for Center Liberal Studies, Franklin and Marshall College, 2006

“…As the President of the Friends of Franklin, www.benfranklin2006.org an internationalorganization that promotes and explores Franklin’s legacy I highly recommend “CurrentlyFranklin” to people of any age, and for that matter even if they do not understand English,visually it’s a gem.”

- Roy Goodman, Curator of Printed Materials, American Philosophical Society, 2006

“…[A[n enchanting, original and completely compelling production about Ben Franklin, with ascript and set and music design that truly bring Franklin and his many gifts and achievements tolife… "Currently Franklin: The Story of a Paper Boy," is a sophisticated reading of Franklin's lifeand work and a remarkable piece of theatre; at the same time, it is completely accessible,entertaining, surprising, and undeniably educational. The audiences …were amazed -- awed,even -- by the inventiveness and beauty of the set, the movement, the script; children who wereno more than five sat marveling for the entire show next to equally students, faculty and staff.”

- Kerry Sherin-Wright, Author, Director of Philadelphia Alumni Writers House, Franklin andMarshall College, 2006

SELECTED PRESS CLIPPINGS, “CURRENTLY FRANKLIN”“Currently Franklin: The Story of a Paper Boy,” The Philadelphia Inquirer (Coverage, Sept 4, 2006)

“Ben Franklin: Paper boy's tale”, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Review, September 1, 2006)