"We give you a piece of bread with the puppet show because our bread and theater belong together. For a long time the theater arts have been separated from the stomach. Theater was entertainment. Entertainment was meant for the skin. Bread was meant for the stomach." - Peter Shumann, Founder of Bread and Puppet

Art is made to be consumed, much in the same way food is. Both are created with this purpose in mind. Bread and Puppet have fed their audiences holistically since their beginning by providing homemade sourdough bread alongside their performances. "Like eating, the consumption of performance is ongoing... it is unable to sustain or recreate itself over, thus leaving the spectator hungry for more, demanding further (re)production" (Colpitts 2023, 147).

Consuming art takes on a literal meaning during Bread and Puppet performances as serving sourdough bread is a central part of their art. This act of serving bread to their audiences also reinforces their belief that food and art are a necessity for life and should be accessible to anyone.

Click here to learn more about Cheap Art, an accessible artform used by Bread and Puppet.