A theatrical work of puppetry and object manipulation by Jenna Ann MacGillis. Set in frontier-era Missouri, Desperate Characters traces the lives of MacGillis’ ancestors as they navigate terrain all-too-familiar to the canon of American folk balladry: alcohol, gambling, murder, farms, banks, family, and God. For this story, I arranged traditional tunes and composed a few original pieces. The show will premiered at San Diego’s first Fringe Festival July 5-7, 2013. CDs and digital downloads are available online via bandcamp.