Photo: Shannon Cottrell/LA Weekly from "Hello Kitty's Bats and Cats Masquerade @ Royal/T"
The Wandering Marionettes are a performance troupe based in Los Angeles who have become an important part of the city's nightlife. They appear frequently at clubs and other events (like Labyrinth of Jareth) across L.A. dressed in black and white and wearing sleek masks, using music and dance to tell a story of mysterious dolls.
I wrote about The Wandering Marionettes when they put together their own party, Kabinet Theatre, in Hollywood last year. (They've hosted Kabinet Theatre nights since then, as well, but moved it downtown.) I like The Wandering Marionettes for a reason similar to The League of S.T.E.A.M.: both emphasize audience interaction in their work.
Typically, The Wandering Marionettes will do a few dance numbers on stage, but that's only part of what they do. The members of the troupe are in character all night and much of their performance revolves around their interaction with the crowd. They might be on the dance floor or hanging around the bar with everyone else, but they don't speak and how you react to them more or less prompts what happens next. Check out the video below to see The Wandering Marionettes on stage.
