Based in Providence, Rhode Island, Big Nazo is a performance group of visual artists, performers, and musicians who create and wear massive handmade puppets, masks, and costumes. Characters include a lab rat in a sport coat, three-eyed robots, undersea creatures, and a variety of mutants. Costumed performers can stroll around a gathering and interact with guests or play live rock and blues as the Big Nazo Band. Custom masks, puppets, and props are also available. The group tours internationally, and prices range from $500 to $20,000.
For events with kids (or fun-loving adults) Kansas City, Missouri-based Whoop Dee Doo is a faux public-access television show inspired by programs like Pee Wee’s Playhouse and The Gong Show. The live performance features an eclectic mix of entertainers such as drag queens, tap dancers, and West African dance troupes—at times, all at once. Whoop Dee Doo creates custom sets and costumes for each show, usually out of free or recycled materials. The group travels internationally; pricing starts at $3,000 for shows within the U.S.
During a performance by Orlando-based Drip, dancers incorporate materials like paint, fabric, sand, and food into their routines, creating a visually striking (and messy) show. The group can choreograph custom shows or perform signature programs like “Wet,” a dance that involves black lights, body painting, and a rock ’n’ roll soundtrack; or “Fresh,” which involves edible elements such as coffee grounds and fruit juice. The group travels internationally, and pricing starts at $10,000 for a 25-minute show.
MASS Ensemble, which stands for “music architecture sound sculpture,” is an international performance group that blends music, dance, and the visual arts. MASS is best known for playing music on custom-made sculptural instruments, like cloud- and orb-shaped drums and the Earth Harp, which has strings that have run more than 1,000 feet in length, across architectural sites and in nature. The group tours internationally; pricing varies.
Nana Projects is a Baltimore-based collective that describes itself as “lanterneers and visual alchemists inventing innovative artwork that draws people together in public spaces.” One of its most popular works is the “Magic Lantern Show,” inspired by Victorian-era magic lanterns. Puppeteers tell stories by projecting images made of plastic and acrylic gels onto a screen. Many shows are also set to original scores, such as “Luna,” which is based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. The organization travels nationwide, and pricing starts at $3,000. Original commissioned works cost as much as $40,000.
Through its Redmoon for Hire program, Chicago-based Redmoon Theatre offers a diverse array of artists who can enliven an event with handcrafted props and costumes. Options include a procession of actors wearing dramatically lit swan headdresses, a purple-hued installation of a woman in a tub filled with cabbages, or a trio of performers who act out silent scenes behind illuminated windows. Bookings outside of the Chicago area start at $10,000 for transportation and shipping, plus performance fees.
Through SandStory, Richmond, Kentucky-based artist Joe Castillo draws in sand atop a light box, creating constantly changing illustrations that tell a story. The sand drawings, which are created live, are projected onto a large screen and set to music. Themes include hospitality, transformation, and friendship. Castillo travels worldwide, and prices start at $10,000. Performances with a live band or orchestra or custom live performances can be arranged by request.
Artist Michael Arthur will sketch at events—with his handiwork projected live for attendees. Arthur is the archival artist for New York music venue Joe’s Pub, where he draws performers during sound checks and shows, capturing the intimate moments and energy of performances in pen and ink. In addition to Joe’s, he has worked with American Ballet Theatre and the Tribeca Film Festival. Arthur charges a $750 day rate, which includes one or two drawings for limited use on Web sites and in email. Travel costs are additional for events outside of New York.
