FireTale Productions explores cultural myths and stories through a modern lens and creates original works inspired by the question: What stories of hope and cautionary tales do we want to leave for future generations? Using the art of shadow puppetry and oral tradition, we bring what has been lost to light and reveal the magic, connection, and relevance of being human in the world today. The simplicity and accessibility of the medium invites participants to engage their imaginations and delight in the transformation of ordinary materials into fantastical forms and characters.
About the artists:
Ritu Nanos sees the world through stories. Her South Asian heritage opened the door to her culture’s mythology shared by oral tradition, as well as her time studying classical Indian dance. Shadow puppetry can be traced to Indian storytelling, and this connection inspired her to co-found FireTale Productions in 2023. Her background includes puppetry arts, martial arts, dance, and storytelling. She has produced The Ramayana: A Retelling and Wood Dragon: A Chinese New Year Celebration for FireTale’s shadow puppet theater. Her current passions include creative works that engage the community and death work. She is the owner of White Ocean Arts, one of the few female-owned dojos in the U.S.
Mikal Shapiro is a Kansas City-based artist, musician and co-founder of FireTale Productions, an emerging shadow puppet theater established in 2023. Their work includes experimental and documentary filmmaking, performance, and puppetry arts. In addition to their own works, Shapiro has performed as a puppeteer for Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Amahl and the Night Visitors and St. Louis-based kids show Little Celia and Friends. They received their Master of Fine Arts in Film, Video, New Media, and Animation from School of the Art Institute of Chicago. They continue to produce creative work at their Midtown studio in Kansas City.
