izaq charp (Musician & Heaven on Earth Crankie) “Good god, it’s hideous,” gasped the veterinarian as izaq charp oozed out a cyst on the anus of a warthog at the Cincinnati Zoo on September 7th, 2023. izaq charp was quickly flushed down a toilet where he joined a gelatinous conglomeration of pieces of shit. It was here that izaq found his repulsive voice. izaq began his career by flatulating into the faces of the panel of judges on America’s Got Shit for Brains. From there, stardom was a short shart away and it wasn’t long before izaq could be found every Tuesday evening defecating on the Crown Prince of Belarus’s face. It was a life of fame and filthy glamor that izaq led those next few wild years. But after a near fatal snot swallowing incident left izaq with a permanently impaired sense of smell, izaq decided to denounce his life of extravagant depravity. So izaq got himself stuck to the bottom of the next passerby’s shoe and, stinking most grotesquely, made his way to Ithaca, NY. izaq now divides his time between licking questionable encrustations off items donated to the Ithaca ReUse Center and collaborating with Lilypad Puppet Theatre.
Lily Silly Puppets (Guard) Lily Gershon is the director of Lilypad Puppet Theatre, a local puppeteer and creator of Lily Silly Puppets. She makes hand and shadow puppets in Freeville, at a small collective house called the Dacha Project that she built with her pals. She enjoys parades, jazz singing, wind-up toys, and pop-up art, and pretty much anything absurd and wacky.
Marietta Synodis (Jester) Marietta is a modern-age Renaissance woman. Prior to arriving in Ithaca (in pursuit of a more balanced lifestyle), Marietta was a radio producer in New York City. She now walks through the world as a performative storyteller, telling stories through acting, dance, puppetry, and radio. She has also produced THIS is Ithaca —a podcast that explores community and the people who build it. She is also (ever so slowly) building her own home. She would like to thank YouTube for providing all the necessary knowledge to guide her in that endeavor.
Marina Gershon (Guard) On this winter night, the unbridled ferocity of the storm is matched only by the blackness of the sky, horizontal streams of sleet masked in an impenetrable inky curtain. It’s incongruous, unnerving, you think staring out the window at the utter absence of anything. There’s a knock, barely audible over the frenzied din. A pause, and then another. And is that the jingle of tiny fairies’ bells? But, whosoever could be out on a night like this? Why, it’s Marina Gershon of course! She’s come with gifts and laughter and steaming mugs of tea. Snowflakes land on her eyelashes for an instant before being melted by her radiant warmth. She stands on your doorstep smiling, waiting to be invited in, which of course you do. And your day, however it may have been before, is now a merry one indeed. Such is the way of Marina.
Matthew Ocone (The King) is a musician based in Ithaca, NY. In addition to performing on solo classical guitar, he regularly plays with Isaac Sharp in The Dacha Guitar Duo, with violinist Bill Hurley in The Tarragon Duo, and with puppeteer Lily Silly. He lives at The Dacha Project, in Freeville NY, a sustainable homestead, where he manages a small vegetable farm. For info on his various musical projects, The Dacha Project, and his passion for Hippopotami, you can visit his website.