In March of 2015, the dynamic team of Finn Campman and Paul Dedell presented Three in the Wilderness, a modern mystery play. Featuring vocals by Zara Bode, Paul Dedell, and Stefan Amidon; violinist Moby Pearson, the evocative and sophisticated puppets of Finn Campman, and narrated by local legend Tony Barrand, this show explored the complexities of Christ’s Temptation in the Wilderness. The show, which was premiered in March of 2014, was presented once again at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Brattleboro before traveling up to be performed at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Burlington.
Composer Paul Dedell’s original music provided an exotic soundscape, evoking a feeling of the Middle East. Speaking about the music, he said, “I chose the violin, resonating guitar, harmonium, and percussion for this score. I like the sound a lot — the combination of harmonium and resonating guitar creates a completely new sound that is almost unidentifiable. The violin soars over this, and matches the energy of each of the temptations –frenetic, soulful, questioning.”
Finn Campman designed and built the puppet figures of Christ, the Devil, and a third character known as the Fool. Campman is well known for his work with Sandglass Theater, and is co-founder and director of The Company of Strangers. The figures were animated by Campman, Kirk Murphy and Helen Schmidt.