"Cabaret of Desire" by Blair Thomas and Co. on Oct. 11 in Chicago

"Cabaret of Desire" illustrates eight or ten pieces of writing, including letters, poems, and plays, by the celebrated Spanish writer Fredrico Garcia Lorca. It is an intimate collection of pieces that require concentration and a sensitive ear. For Lorca fans, the letters might prove particularly interesting because they are little known. Also, one of the anchor pieces, "Buster Keaton's Stroll," is an unproducable surrealist theater script that lends itself well to pupper theater.

As with all of Blair Thomas' pieces, the treatment of the literature is poetic. Thomas has an impressive ear for the poetry in language and translates it to the stage in a lovely way. The puppets are also wonderfully varied and expressive. One of the early pieces has puppets made out of shoes. The surprise of their creation is enough to command your attention. It's the somber mood of piece that sicks with you, however.

The final piece, "Buster Keaton's Stroll," is fantastic for its variety of puppets and technique. We see Buster Keaton as bunraku puppets of various sizes, as shadow puppets of various sizes, and as represented by a person. Each time a new version of Buster Keaton comes out, one is surprised and the result is wonder. At times the story is wacky and funny but mostly it makes little sense. At those times, it's the magic of Thomas puppetry that keeps you connected.

The pieces all seem to ruminate on existence in some way. I think I'd have to see it a second time to recall all of it, though. What sticks with me most are the moments of surprise, whether brought about by the language of Lorca or the puppetry. This show is a treat for serious fans of puppetry or Lorca's but it's not for the faint of heart or the uninitiated.

"War Horse" on September 27 at the National Theatre in London

"War Horse" is the most commercially successful show in the National Theatre's history. A hit with critics and lay audiences alike, the show is in a sold out extended run. It is an adaptation of the Michael Morpurgo children's book by the same name. A story about a teenager whose beloved horse is sent off to the battlefields of WWI. Desperate to be with his horse, the boy joins the army so that me might search for the horse.

The horses in the play are created and operated by Handspring Puppet Company from South Africa. They are each maniulated by three puppeteers, two who are inside the body of the horse and one who manipulates its head. My favorite thing about puppetry is how transparent it makes the artifice of theater but how it still pulls you in emotionally. One can somehow be in the moment and still be aware that you're watching something that isn't real. The horse puppets look angry, afraid, and loving at different times. That puppet makers and puppeteers can make these contraptions resemble something with emotions is remarkable.

For me, though, the puppets were the only remarkable thing about the show. The story is what you might expect from a children's book -- a bit implausable and too much heroism. The boy loves his horse too much and that he risks his life to go find him is more than we should have to take. Still, the beauty of the puppetry makes it all worthwhile.