17 Nov Chiflón, the Silence of Coal, by Chile’s Silencio Blanco Theatre Company

FUNDarte, in association with Miami-Dade County Auditorium and Culture Shock Miami, presents Chiflón, the Silence of Coal, by Chile’s Silencio Blanco Theatre Company at the On.Stage Black.Box Theater at Miami Dade County Auditorium (2901 W Flagler St., Miami, FL 33135). There will be two performances on Friday, January 27th and Saturday, January 28th at 8:30 p.m.

This magnificent and poignant work establishes a unique theatrical language using white marionettes set in a universe of random sounds lacking dialogue, the signature silent aesthetic of Silencio Blanco. The work employs beautiful composition of visual wizardry and skillful puppetry work to tell the story of a mining community in Chile. In addition to the performances, the Silencio Blanco Theatre Company will provide a theater workshop for local artists.

Chiflón, The Silence of Coal begins as a shaft collapses. To keep working, a young miner must travel to Chiflón del Diablo, one of the most dangerous mines in Chile. Using white marionettes constructed of newspaper, this stunning Florida debut ominously builds the violence of the global economy and affects a montage of sensations that are indisputably human.  Based in part on the story of El Chiflón del Diablo by distinguished Chilean author Baldomero Lillo, and devised during trips to the mining town of Lota, Chiflón, El Silencio del Carbón reflects a deep creative process. By not using text or dialogue Chiflón connects with a broad public, with no cultural, social, or age limit.

What: Chiflón, El Silencio del Carbón by Chile’s Silencio Blanco Theatre Company
When: January 27 & 28, 2017 – 8:30 p.m.
Where: On.Stage Black.Box Theater at Miami Dade County Auditorium (2901 W Flagler St., Miami, FL 33135)
General Admission: $30 Adults  | $25 Seniors and Students with ID (Limited).
Tickets: Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com; by phone (800) 745-3000 and at the Miami Dade County Auditorium Box Office, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
More Information: (305) 547-5414; (786) 348-0789

About the artists:

Silencio Blanco is a collective of seven puppeteers based in Santiago. The cofounders, Santiago Tobar and Dominga Gutiérrez, work with white marionettes constructed with a newspaper base. In their montage, human sensations are represented through everyday situations and familiar gesture movements. Bunraku and marionette puppeteers transmit the human movement through the puppet, provoking illusion and suspended belief so that it appears as if even the heartbeat of the characters can be heard.

Tobar and Gutiérrez started the company in 2010 while students at the legendary Theater School of the University of Chile. The current group includes the sound artist-composer Ricardo Pacheco. They work collaboratively and to date have created three full-length works, De Papel, Pescador, and Chiflón, employing puppets and, more recently, film. Tobar, who is also chief puppet maker, is the former master puppeteer for Compañía Teatro Milagros, the award-winning company led by artistic director-designer Aline Kuppenheim.

This engagement of Silencio Blanco is made possible through Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts; The Performing Americas Program, which is a partnership between the National Performance Network (NPN) and the Network of Cultural Promoters of Latin America and the Caribbean (La RED) designed to increase artistic exchange in the Western Hemisphere. The Performing Americas Program is supported by the NPN with funding provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Touring support is also made possible in part by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile/National Council of Culture and the Arts. This event is presented in partnership with The Miami Dade County Auditorium and Culture Shock Miami.

This event is part of the global performing arts series NO BORDERS presented by FUNDarte Inc. This series focuses on innovative contemporary works from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain, celebrating Miami’s diverse multiethnic culture.

Financial and administrative support for FUNDarte’s No Borders 2016-17 series is provided in part by Miami Dade County Auditorium; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; State of Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council; Mid Atlantic Arts; The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; South Arts; Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America, a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation; National Performance Network; Centro Cultural Español de Miami, University of the Miami, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures Joseph Carter Memorial Fund, Cuban Theater Digital Archive; The Deauville Hotel; Miami Art Guide, MiamiArtZine, El Nuevo Herald, Pamela Restaurante, Generación Asere; Glassworks Multimedia; and Romaldesign.

FUNDarte (www.fundarte.us) FUNDarte is a multidisciplinary non-profit organization dedicated to producing, presenting, and promoting music, theater, dance, film and visual arts that speak to Miami’s diverse cultures with an emphasis on Hispanic arts and culture. FUNDarte particularly works to nurture emerging artists and those with little or no exposure to South Florida audiences; facilitate intercultural and international exchanges; and provide local audiences and artists with educational opportunities that expand their creative, critical and social perspectives.