Words by Jennifer Hunt

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Larry used a wide variety of cultural traditions as he sculpted over his 35+ years. Aside from his Picasso period, he sculpted for the stage. His commitment to an artist’s responsibility to enlighten or comment on the human condition was paramount.

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All of Larry’s work came from a deep, spiritual, conviction and respect for the power and responsibility of the arts to contribute, enhance, and elevate humankind. 

 

During the early 70’s the first Earth Day gave voice to an emerging consciousness. The idea of channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement into that of non-violence and urgent environmental concerns inspired the artist in Larry. He established himself as an actor, director and mask movement artist, as his first solo show Animan evolved. His cast of characters included young and old caricatures of human qualities in conjunction with those of our animal friends.

His concern for the anti-nuclear movement led him to create a staged version of Kuboyama. The story of an innocent fisherman who veered off course in the Pacific Ocean and became the first victim and anti-nuclear symbol of our destructive power. 

 

His early work with Earthlife Theater Company, Spokane, WA. produced a collaboration with local musicians, Larry Ellingson and John Farley. After gaining permission from the author, they wrote a musical version of the children’s story Bo and the Sad King, written by Vittorio de Girolamo. A cast of characters in a mythical kingdom led by the young optimist, Bo, show the king how to counter his sadness with an innocent embrace of nature’s beauty.

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“Bo” was the first production produced in Connecticut, 1989, at the Bethlehem Public Library with 30+ children and several area artists.

 

You Are What You Eat was a production of Masque Theater and Tears of Joy Puppet Theater of Portland, OR. The animated mask characters “served up delectable vignettes of nutritional information in a palatable fashion which touched the young mind and the young heart.” Prompted by a state call for educational programs to inform school systems of the Dietary Goals prepared by the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, United States Senate; December, 1977. 

 

The 1980’s found Larry deeply moved by the Sanctuary Movement. His response was to study, which led him to the conditions in El Salvador. When he learned about the events that led to the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero he was soon into a theater piece that would show the evolution of justice rising from the suffering of victims of violence fleeing civil conflict.

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2003 This World The Next, Then the Peach Orchard was a theatrical variety show that incorporated some of Animan’s characters into a full stage, adult performance that included vignettes with a variety of themes. Three to five minute pieces included the trigger happy couple who find themselves ravenously attracted to the gun and the personal power it tempts; to the unconscious connection between the Owl and the Hunter and on to Ghandi’s haunting message about consumption. "The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need but not for every man's greed." All ending with an echoing sound of the assassin's bullet.

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The waiting had ended. For weeks I watched my muscular, lean husband wither away to a bony fragile version of himself..  One sunny July morning I entered the hospital room, and he gave me his last dying breath. I spent the next few days, weeks, and months in a sleepwalk haze that felt hollow and swirling with memories of  his life, the dreams he lived, and the ones not fulfilled.

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 I don’t remember a time in over 40 years that Larry wasn’t performing, directing, collaborating, writing a theater piece, or sculpting a mask. The respect and response Larry received in other countries around the world was encouraging to his creative spirit. Creativity was an “essential food group for him,” a friend remarked. He was not only a gifted performer and mask maker, but a scholar of theater arts and a history buff. He started his college career undecided: history or theater? He always embraced both. He performed in countries with rich cultural heritage in classic forms of theater such as: Bunraku of Japan, Commedia dell’arte of Italy, and Pantomime of France. He honored both the art and the people, and never visited a country without studying the language and culture first. His unique style drew from many of those traditions.

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One of his dreams was to perform at the famous Edinburgh International Fringe Festival in Scotland. The Fringe story dates back to 1947, when eight theatre groups turned up uninvited to perform at the newly formed Edinburgh International Festival, an initiative created to celebrate and enrich European cultural life in the wake of the Second World War. 

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In the early 90’s, Larry was guest director with the “Ming Ri Theater Company” in Hong Kong. He helped create a production based on fables, lending his masks and physical approach to the production. This process made a lasting impression on a young actor in the company, Even Lam, who moved on from Ming Ri to start his own company, ”Jumbo Kids Theater,” with his wife Vivian. They also had a dream of creating non-verbal theater like Larry had demonstrated. Twenty years later, Lam and his wife traveled to our home in Bethlehem for training. Larry and the two of them brainstormed an original show that incorporated characters from the two companies. Hunt would be guest director, bringing our actor son, Simon along to perform. I would be included as educational consultant for Hong Kong teachers helping them incorporate the experience into their curriculum, with the ultimate goal, “The Fringe.”

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Although Larry died before he could make that trip, Even and Vivian carried on the legacy of Masque Theater on his behalf. They lived out his dream when Toasty’s Day Dreaming traveled to the Fringe in August 2017.

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Simon and I traveled together to the Fringe, just one year after Larry’s death. As the lights dimmed, we felt the spirit of Masque fill the small black box theater. Larry’s masks, his movement, and his influence helped create the story. As he would have, less talk and more play, a thought-provoking story of a schoolgirl with a bit of writer’s block unfolded. Colorful, animated school kids with large hats and bright eyes eagerly embraced their assignment to write a composition, “My Dream.”

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 An energetic character in a grey stocking cap knew instantly that race car driving was his dream. Another imagined growing up to be a beautiful princess, but Toasty’s frustration led her into a dreamy world to brainstorm with Larry’s  white mask chorus. 

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Functioning like the traditional Greek chorus, this well trained physical ensemble became a dynamic collective voice sweeping Toasty into the main action of her busy world outside the classroom in search of inspiration. They painted pictures in the audience’s mind, combining elegant, percussive choreography, gestures, and gibberish. The white mask chorus became busy adults scurrying down escalators, bumping and swaying on the shadow train. We couldn’t help watching the audience follow the action. The delight on their faces was heartwarming. 

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Two signature Masque characters that have touched audiences for decades came into Toasty’s world to share their dreams. The Old Man portrayed brilliantly by Even Lam, offered hope. The frisky Puppy brought spontaneity and playfulness to the production.

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The play ended with a poignant video montage of Larry Hunt’s lifetime dedication to the world of mask-theater. My love and admiration spilled out in uncontrolled tears of pride. Simon and I looked at one another, so moved we were unable to speak. He later told me he thought to say anything would spoil the magic.

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Losing my partner, friend, soulmate and husband was a seismic shift. Never would I have imagined fulfilling his dream in Edinburgh would be the road to my healing, replacing the grief that filled the void with his presence, his dream.