IGLOO TALES is a collection of folk stories and myths from Inuits, and other tribal peoples of the North, adapted for the stage, performed in the winter of 1997 at the Nada Theater on Ludlow Street and at schools throughout Brooklyn.

 

IGLOO TALES featured an international, multi-ethnic cast of ten presenting a wide variety of theatrical styles from around the world. Inuit stories have a different nature then our good versus evil morality tales. With their rich textures and complete suspension of disbelief, these stories are intrinsically theatrical. The show goes beyond the tradition of any one culture. In addition to methods employed by Inuit storytellers, other techniques and styles used include: blues music, Kabuki dance, puppetry, a Greek chorus, Commedia Dell’Arte, and a film-noir send up. In these stories, animals become and marry people; ordinary men are killed and resurrected; and young children learn to be Shaman. Faux-Real presented two versions of the show – a PG version for schools and educational settings, and a racier version reserved for adult audiences. Story titles include: "What is the Earth?," "Uutaaq, the Hunter," "The Raven and the Seagull," "How the Earth Was Made and How Wood-Chips Became Walrus," and "Him-Whose-Penis-Stretches-Down-to-His-Knees (this one was reserved for adult audiences). Stories are brought to life with masks, music, gestures and different theatrical approaches. Through this process these stories and storytelling traditions from far away places take on an eclectic trans-world quality, designed to transport and thrill contemporary audiences.