Meet Damon Young | Shadow Puppet Performer and Theater-maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Damon Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Damon, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
What we have always focused on is making these puppet shows for everyone: from very young kids to parents and grandparents. Storytelling is for everyone. We also want our comedy to be kind: so when people laugh, it’s a togetherness kind of thing. We want people to feel good about laughing. I hope that the responsibility and caring that we have as parents come through in the show: so you feel good bringing kids and laughing yourself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started with children’s theater with my college troup and was astonished by the presence, honesty, and mirth of young audiences. I have a background in music as well, so adding the soundtrack element is very important. Focusing on shadow puppet theater for my performance and storytelling feels really good for me.  It’s a unique approach with multi-faceted potential that keeps me very busy. We were even called in to do the shadows for Marvel’s Hawkeye on Disney+. Shadow puppetry is a magical art which I find connects with audiences of all ages. At the same time, there is an appealing simplicity. As well as contemporary work that I do, I study many of the traditional cultural forms found around the world, and have sought out teachers from Turkish Karagoz to Balinese Wayang. I’ve been fortunate to study the cultural importance of the art, as well as wonderfully specific performance techniques which have a universal ability to delight audiences.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Take in some museums, especially The Center For Puppetry Arts and Fernbank Science Center. Enjoy some delicious Bell Street Burritos! To have a lovely hike visit nearby Sweetwater State Park.  Q at the East Atlanta Qommunity food and art space in East Atlanta Village is the coolest person, and makes amazing Boba Teas and foods!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate my shoutout to my kids and partner who help me to create and tour our puppet shows, from writing, to cutting out puppets and scenery, carrying shadow screens, and jumping in to perform puppet magic. Special thanks go to my extended puppet family including Aretta Baumgartner, Jeff the Corndog Kid, Rachael “Pickles the Clown”, Liz the Purple Princess, Claire Ritzler, Lee Bryan (That Puppet Guy), Tim Theall, Ayhan “US Karagoz” Hulagu, Beau Brown, and master mime teacher Michael Hickey at Gateway Performance Productions.  Immense gratitude to my mom and my parents for their boundness loving goodness.

Website: https://www.theaterartsandpuppets.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomadpuppet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaterartsandpuppets

Image Credits
Rick Meade, Michael Messing