The Pulley. The Lever. The Wheel and Axle. And I promise it sounds much more lyrical and entertaining when being chant-call-and-responded by Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas in their latest Alex and Olmsted production, Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms appearing now through March 29th 2026 at Baltimore Theatre Project. Devised by Alex and Olmsted (with lighting design by John McAfee and Board Op by Nicholas Boone) this whimsically wonderful explorative piece of puppet-forward theatrical engagement is a remarkable adventure that starts off with simple machines, winds itself around characters that arise from the machinery, and results in a full-blown story that fascinates audiences of all ages.
The hallmark of any Alex and Olmsted production is their use of light and shadow, effectively sliding silhouette and shadow puppet play into the mix. Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms is no exception. Lighting Designer John McAfee works with levels of light (often subdued oranges and yellows for that grungy factory/machinery interior vibe as the production progresses) in the opening sequence that allows for a great deal of shadow play. The introduction to what you’re about to witness, which features a series of shadowy silhouette rod-puppets and an immense scaffolding, is a primer for the adventurous rabbit hole down which you are about to tumble!
There’s always a pulsation of music or soundscape threading through the background in this performance and as the show is mostly wordless (give or take half-a-dozen words utilized in the beginning for call and response as they introduce three of the six more notable simple machines to the audience) this augments the audience’s experience. The choice of wordlessness or textless-ness is not only a unique experience but an accessible one, creating a narrative that can be enjoyed beyond language barriers and hearing impairments. And the performers (co-devisors Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas) are masters of their body language, movement and mime, and their facial expressions, making for a glorious experience from start to finish.
As the title implies, there really are quite a lot of mechanisms. Everything from puppets on hand-push wheels, whirligigs, screws and wedges, all the aforementioned simple machines, and the mega-attraction— the all-seeing eye. That’s a reveal well worth the wait and the way this pulley-system geosphere gets utilized into movement is astonishing. It’s so very simple and yet complexly beautiful and magical. This massive sphere becomes a focal point for the back half of the performance and really amps up the journey of both the performers and everything they’re doing, which started is silly and experimental but grows into something extraordinary whilst still maintaining its sense of ‘play’ and fun.
The incorporation of physicality, movement from both Vernon and Thomas, as well as a myriad of puppets (the art-expression for which Alex and Olmsted are best known) and now— mechanisms, is what makes this show so unusual and wondrous strange in a curiosity-inspiring vein. While the narrative is left broadly open to interpretation— are they cogs in a machine? Is this a dystopian future where all existence revolves around punching in and out at work? Are they living in a past-time as oppressed working class?— it has relatable and personable moments for everyone and above all, it has humorous engagements that tickle the fancy of the masses, especially if the giggling and laughter from the audience are any indication.
The styles of mechanisms and puppetry encourage the imagination. Vernon and Thomas play exceptionally well off one another— whether it’s the little intentional and humorous mishap with the coats from the pulley-basket-coat-rack or their ‘plan’ once a major thing late in the story is revealed— it’s almost as if they can read one another’s minds (such a wild and rare thing to witness on stage!) Thomas leans into this brilliant moments utilizing her full range of expressions through not only her facial features but her body language— particularly when she takes up little dances to Boléro M. 81 (Maurice Ravel 1928) and then quickly has to curb her physical behaviors thanks to the all-seeing eye. Vernon gets to express his hilarious physicality much closer to the end of the production when he’s scrambling and scrabbling about on the floor with that coffee can of nails and screws. But all throughout the performance they’re engaging with the mechanisms, with each other, and with the atmosphere in a fashion that’s electric.
Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms is the recipient of a 2026 Jim Henson Foundation Grant and it feels much-deserved. Some of the puppetry— particularly those that are revealed from…inside of unexpected places…feels like they’d be right at home in a corner of Sesame Street or backstage at The Muppet Show. There’s a beauty and an attention to detail in their puppet-artistry that must be seen; it’s exquisite.
It’s a fantastical fun journey; well-worth exploring, experiencing, and absorbing! There are ample opportunities over the next few weekends— evening shows at 7:30pm and Saturday & Sunday matiness at 3:00pm. Don’t miss your chance to see play at work and work at play with Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms.
Running Time: Approximately 80 minutes with no intermission
Really Quite a Lot of Mechanisms plays through March 29th 2026 with Alex and Olmsted, a resident artist theatre company at at Baltimore Theatre Project located at— 45 W. Preston Street in Baltimore, MD. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 410-752-8558 or by purchasing them in advance online.
