Figures of Speech was founded by Carol Llewellyn and John Farrell in 1982, bringing together their passions for dance, theater, sculpture and poetry. From that mix they forged a vision of performance that focused on the metaphoric expressiveness of the puppet and the power of visual imagery. The company has toured all over the world - from Sofia, Bulgaria to Tokyo, Japan, to Lima, Peru - at venues including the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institution, and the New Victory Theatre on Broadway. While we're known for our groundbreaking work juxtaposing puppets, actors and other stage media, we’re also interested in the performance of literary text: our latest work is a solo recitation from memory of T.S. Eliot’s poetic masterpiece, Four Quartets. FST's unique approach to theater has led to collaborations with other arts organizations such as the DaPonte String Quartet (Words Move/Music Moves), Portland Stage Company (Peer Gynt), Heartwood Regional Theater (Gilgamesh), the Portland Symphony Orchestra (Magic of Christmas) and the Freeport Shakespeare Festival (The Tempest). The artists at FST conjure and create puppets, masks and costumes for venues ranging from expansive concert halls to exuberant outdoor festivals. The creative team draws upon carving techniques gleaned from a fellowship with a Japanese puppet carving master, graduate school training in costume and theater design, and 30 years of experience sculpting, drafting, casting, painting and imagining.