Meet Nehprii Amenii

Nehprii Amenii is the designer and creator of all the amazing puppets used in The Jester And The Dragon. We got the chance to learn a little bit more about her.

What's your favorite part of working on a new show?

Meeting new people, and compiling inspirational images. When has art helped you overcome something in your life?

as a child...i used it to disappear during difficult moments

..and PuppetPlay list #beyonce, "if i were a boy!" ;-)

What are some what-ifs you're following or hope to follow soon?What if i did it as soon as i thought about it doing it? What if i actually went into my studio to write and create EVERYDAY? what if i posted and broadcasted everything i actually do? what if i had someone else to handle all marketing and admin stuff around art! and i could just be free to create? :-)

What other artists inspire you? Prince, Julie Taymor, James Baldwin, Ava DuVernay, Zhang Yimou

What projects do you have coming up next?

This spring, I'm directing " Dear Natalie the Moon is Round" written by Allen Lang, My summers usually include creating and staging a puppetry performance with the children of the Alvin Ailey's Arts in Education, and this fall... I'm directing, "Food for the Gods" written by Nehprii Amenii.

Nehprii Amenii (MFA, Sarah Lawrence College) is a writer, director and puppeteer. She is recipient of the 2013 Lipkin Prize for Playwriting and was selected as a U.S. delegate for the 2015 Women Playwrights International Conference. She's worked with Penumbra Theatre, La Mama Theatre, The Flea, Pan Asian Rep, Bushwick Starr, HOBT Puppet & Mask Theatre, Bread & Puppet, Virginia Stage Co., Cirque Du Soleil, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Foundation. Nehprii uses the arts to help recent immigrants learn English and process trauma. She serves as an advisor for the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and is artistic director of Khunum productions.

Tickets are now on sale for The Jester And The Dragon!