Q-Licious, the event thrown by Spiral Q Puppet Theater Saturday at Girard College’s Founder’s Hall in honor of its founder Matthew “Matty Boy” Hart, was less about Spiral Q and more about the guest of honor, and the size of his footprint on the political activist life of Philadelphia. Spiral Q must have been aware of the juiciness of honoring its founder in a building called Founder’s Hall.
A bit of the shadow puppet play, a sort of This is Your Life, Matty Hart
The event was a hoot, with a shadow puppet play, The Complete, Unabridged Life of Matthew “Matty Boy” Hart, Part I (in 5 minutes, give or take…), which included the moment that Matty grew wings and became a fairy activist.
Miss Martha Graham Cracker performs and casts her own shadows.
The play was followed a knock-down drag performance by Martha Graham Cracker, a.k.a. Pig Iron Theater’s fabulous performing genius Dito van Reigersberg. Cracker’s fine sense of balance in 4-inch platform heels as she tripped over some wires was exceeded by her ad libbed asides. Her hairiness looked great in fringed flapper pink, and also in the giant shadows she threw up on the wall.
But the biggest shadow of all was cast by the guest of honor himself, who stayed modest and low key throughout. We were there because we donated some art (artist Robert Goodman is a great arm twister), and because we’re great believers Hart’s activist approach to politics–and to life.
