History

The Octopus Ensemble was born in a kitchen in Berlin…
In March of 2004, a puppeteer, a violinist, and a contemporary composer shared a strong pot of coffee and a few pastries and discovered a common interest: finding a new approach to collaborating that cultivates dialogue between artistic forms at the earliest stages of creation.
The Ensemble uses the intersection of action and sound as the basic creative element with which to work Ideas for a new piece are explored simultaneously through movement, music and visual design, with discoveries in one medium informing new experimentation in the other.
In exploring each other’s disciplines, we bring a fresh perspective to established ideas and approach traditional forms with curiosity and irreverence. With live music and puppetry as our building blocks, our work explores the nature and technique of theatrical storytelling and explores the structures and themes of classical music.

The Ensemble’s first piece, Rappaccini’s Daughter, has been performed at Chashama (9/2004) and at the Jim Henson Company Carriage House (10/2004). Octopus received a rehearsal and performance residency from Theater et Al to further develop this piece, and performed at The Chocolate Factory in December, 2004.