Prep School: The 4th Witch

Manual Cinema follows Macbeth’s witches offstage and into a new story, using their signature shadow puppetry.

Learn more about the creative process and design with these behind the scenes videos from Manual Cinema’s creative team.

Recommended readings to get you in gear for the show.

Victoria Nelson, The Secret Life of Puppets (2001).
Claudia Orenstein, Reading the Puppet Stage: Reflections on the Dramaturgy of Performing Objects (2024).
Dassia N. Posner, Alissa Mello, and Claudia Orenstein, Making Meaning in Puppetry (2026).
Matt Smith, Applied Puppetry: The Theory and Practice of Object Ecologies (2024).

“While the technology is simple, the speed and complexity at which we tell the story really felt like we were exploring new territory.”

Manual Cinema doesn’t hide the intricacies of its work onstage. Even though the work is in plain sight, mystery persists.

“As so much of our lives are moving over into the digital space, it feels more and more important to have these experiences.”