Reviews 

The following reviews are from the 1998 – 99 run of The Pilgrim’s Progress by the David Simpich Marionettes:

 “During the past ten years I have hosted numerous ministers and ministries here at Christ Chapel.  I can say without equivocation that none moved me as much as David’s Marionette Presentation of Pilgrim’s Progress.  As I watched hundreds of children and adults appear mesmerized by his work, I knew that the ‘Pilgrims’ message was surely getting through to them.  It was absolutely amazing and fantastic.”              

 -Bill Roberts, Senior Pastor, Christ Chapel, Woodbridge , VA                                                         

“It’s not often we get to see a classic marionette show. The Simpich Marionettes’ production of The Pilgrim’s Progress at the London Nelson was a masterpiece in the captivating power of marionettes… They deserve some kind of historical creative treasure award.”                               

 -Bruce Bratton, Good Times, Santa Cruz , CA

“We get few such greatly talented self-made puppeteers as David Simpich.  A truly exciting live performance will always be his goal, giving you an experience you will never forget.  Don’t miss this actor/puppeteer.  His voices will amaze you.”

  -Lewis Mahlmann, Director, Storybook Puppet Theater, Children’s Fairyland

“I would like to extend my highest recommendation of David Simpich and his performance of Pilgrim’s Progress. I have known David for many years and have tremendous respect for him as a performer, producer, and person… Through his marionettes, David brings to life this complex literary piece, presenting the Gospel in a creative and non-threatening way.  This production would be appropriate for any church setting and especially for those seeking to communicate the Gospel to nonbelievers in a unique way.”

-Mr. Lauren Libby, Senior Vice President, The Navigators, Colorado Springs  

“Pilgrim’s Progress was a tour de force!  The understated manipulation, the unbelievable voices coming from one person, the puppets and costuming, and the interpretation of Bunyan’s dark story, overlaid with David Simpich’s presence made the performance very exciting… it was a thrill to have him perform in San Francisco.  What a rich experience!”

-Lettie Connell Schubert, Award-winning puppeteer

“…I went to see David Simpich’s Pilgrim’s Progress, thinking it would be at least a tedious evening.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  He made this most pious travelogue work beautifully, riding on his considerable performance energy.  I have, in fact, never seen long pauses with puppets just hanging there, work before, and work they did.  He managed to fill almost all of these tightrope-walking pauses with his own body movement and the wonderful use of his hands to focus the audience.  That feather was up in the air throughout the entire hour and a half! …Simpich’s talent has a lot to do with economy, in general, of knowing what to include and what to leave out… I particularly enjoyed the suggestion of set pieces, notably in Faithful’s death scene and the symbolic use of lengths of fabric and curls of plastic ribbon. The Beast is a marvel of design and economy – one of my favorite demons to date… I appreciate the care with which every detail has been worked through and the quality of voice work, showing years of discipline… A very high degree of concentration knit the performance together and kept the audience involved throughout. … ALTOGETHER A WONDERFUL PRODUCTION.”

-Nancy Cole, Award winning puppeteer, S.F. Bay Area Guild Newsletter

“Last summer, my elder daughter and I had the pleasure of seeing a dramatic performance of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.  I think it would be safe to say that it’s not the sort of book that you would expect to be successfully adapted to a stage performance…  Add to this the fact that the actors in this show were not human beings at all, nor even wildly-whirling cartoon characters, but small, unwieldy marionettes.  And add further that this was a one-man show:  and since this particular man had only two hands, only two characters could be active at one time… Now I would estimate that about a third of the audience were children.  As the performance passed the 90 minute mark, I was certain that fidgeting and loud yawns would soon break out among most of these children, and more than a few adults.  But I was wrong.  The show held their attention to the very end, and they stood and applauded for a long time after it ended.  Part of this due to the amazing talents of the particular two-handed man pulling the strings;  he was David Simpich, puppeteer extraordinaire, who hand-carves each of the thirty or so marionettes that he uses in each of his shows, sews their costumes, and creates the voices, the lighting effects, and the movements that bring these characters to life.  But that’s not the whole explanation; something more than creative talent is involved.  After all, many of the most creative minds are sought out, year after year, by giant corporations like Disney and Industrial Light and Magic, in an effort to hold the attention of most of the children, and more than a few adults, who seek out “visual entertainment” these days. On television and in films, the amount of elapsed time between changes in camera angle has grown so brief that we hardly know any longer how to look at the “same thing” for more than an instant… But given that this is the age of the rapid-fire visual, the sound bite, and the shallowest possible coverage of every issue under the sun, what in the world held that audience’s attention through two hours of slow-moving, talk-heavy and (at least by contemporary standards) visually monotonous puppetry? ... I suspect that many of the people in that audience recognized that this story was not being performed merely to over stimulate their senses.  The performance didn’t just present itself to you; it drew you in, addressed you personally, asked you to believe this story and to believe in this story, perhaps even to live according to this story, to rethink your own life in its terms. In short, it offered a complete vision of life…”

-Dr. David S. Cunningham, from a sermon at The Alice S. Millar Chapel, Northwestern University , Evanston , Illinois  

“Mr. Simpich’s soaring vocal portrayal of John Bunyan’s feelings left me breathless with a profound respect for both the performer’s sincerity and the powers of his persuasion.  The closing moments of this 90-minute performance resounded like the final “Amen” of a great hymn, and I for one am grateful to have been part of the congregation.”

-[Linda] and Terry Snyder, Award winning puppeteer, from D.C. Puppetimes

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