WILL BISHOP
theater artist
Will Bishop is a Chicago-based director, designer and producer. His work is visually replete and highly collaborative.
Shows for Children
Interactive performances invite children to use their imagination and play with puppets.
Shows for All Ages
Beautifully crafted object theater work with universal appeal and moving narratives.
Interactive Experiences
Surreal, site-specific installations which invite guests to participate and share stories.
New Play Production & Direction
New works of traditional theater brought to life with sharp direction and strong production value.
Biography
Will Bishop has designed, directed, written, conceived and produced dozens of puppet shows, clown shows, massive spectacle experiences, and intimate interactive installations across Chicago, the US, and the world. Recent works include co-creating and directing "A Snowy Day with Beatrix Potter and Friends," an ages 2-10 touring puppet show and interactive experience with Chicago Children's Theatre, co-directing the Closing Ceremony of the 2015 Great Chicago Fire Festival, which gathered 200 performers of diverse ages and backgrounds to make a new urban ritual for the city, directing and producing three years of Boneshaker and Revolution, Redmoon's wild, experiential Halloween and New Year's Parties, co-conceiving and co-directing The Devil's Cabaret, a spectacle show on and around a massive human-powered crane, and co-conceiving, writing and co-directing the 2014 Winter Pageant, an intergenerational, community-based spectacle puppet show. His more intimate site-specific work has been performed in art galleries, on street corners, at park field-houses, in music hall balconies, and, notably, in upscale boutiques in Nagoya, Japan and Hangzhou, China. He is the Artistic Associate with Chicago Children's Theatre, worked as the Associate Producer at Redmoon, Chicago's massive spectacle theater, and is a co-founder and Artistic Producer of First Floor Theater.
Selected work
A Snowy Day with Beatrix Potter and Friends
A suitcase puppet show for ages 2-8 commissioned by the Chicago Children's Theatre.
The Devil's Cabaret
A massive spectacle experience produced with Redmoon.
A Cabin in the Snow
A performance/installation which transformed Corner, a Logan Square art gallery, into an interactive fairy tale.
Winter Pageant
A giant puppet show about love and glaciers, staged by Redmoon and starring multiple community collaborators.
The Brain Oracle
An interactive installation which transformed two opera boxes in Pilsen's Thalia Hall into a surrealist experiment starring a giant puppet.
Tollbooth: A Clown Show
A children's clown and puppet show which transformed the Humboldt Park Fieldhouse into a magical kingdom.
Commissions + Collaborators
Chicago Children's Theatre
Redmoon
First Floor Theater
The Chicago Park District
Brainframe
2nd Floor Rear
Corner Gallery
UChicago / Summer Inc.
Press
"Exquisite"
"Designed for preschoolers by Redmoon theater artist Will Bishop, the production employs puppets and sculptures that in turn become Mr. McGregor’s garden, an elegant dollhouse, a cityscape, or the tailor's shop. It's exquisite, and the three performers are too."
"Both ridiculous and generous"
"A show crammed with whimsy that somehow never loses sight of the big red heart at the end of the journey."
"Fun for kids of all ages."
"A journey featuring shadow plays, letter orchards, an infinity staircase, a spanking tunnel, and finally an epic battle against the Demon of Ignorance, all in an attempt to free Wisdom and Whimsy (now there's a cause we can all get behind). "
"Really Awesome"
"People should see this show because it is funny, the puppets are great, and it has a great atmosphere."
"A high degree of artistry"
"The simple conceit of the show belies the production’s sophistication—behind the sheer spectacle, The Devil’s Cabaret displays an impressive degree of technical mastery.
"Wholly Immersive"
"Encourages visitors to pull levers and turn cranks in order for them to wholly immerse themselves into the splendor of their story and exhibition ."
Contact