Belching forth from the glorified backwater village of Portland, OR, Happy Accident’s work explores the exponential pace of overwhelming absurdity in our world. Found objects, large scale puppets and sputtering lights bring you face to face with the cuddly nightmare that is everyday life. An anti-clown car driven by master puppeteer liz HOWLS and co-piloted by musician/unlicensed electrician Servant Baby, Happy Accident ecstatically careens down the wrong side of the lost highway leaving a trail of old copies of Weekly World News and Jack in the Box wrappers in its wake. Colorfully reimagining Saturday mornings spent drooling over piles of synthetic crap in front of the TV, Happy Accident revels in naked, antipathetic americana. You will probably laugh, you might cry, and like other designer drugs, you will want more within minutes. Ultimately you will ask yourself, “What kind of culture would produce something like this?”
844 North Broad St
General Admission: $20
liz HOWLS is a versatile artist whose talents span puppetry, visual arts, animation, illustration, and beyond. Whether crafting intricate paper cuts, designing puppets, or creating immersive installations, liz is a master of blending mediums to bring her visions to life.
Known for her unique approach to puppetry, liz’s work is a poetic fusion of the traditional and the surreal. Her performances are a mix of childlike wonder and dark, fantastical elements that keep audiences captivated long after the curtain falls. In recent years, liz has shifted toward the avant-garde, infusing puppetry with unsettling sounds and imagery that challenge the viewer.
Driven by a love for collaboration, new challenges, and the stories that emerge from travel, liz continues to push creative boundaries—creating work that is as imaginative as it is impactful.
Drew Simpson is a musician, writer, performer, builder, jazz carpenter and visual artist. He is also a pretty good cook when the mood is right. A lifelong fascination with energy, physics, and light has led Drew to experiment with electricity, light sculpting and close calls with 110 voltage.
In 2024, Drew teamed up with partner/puppeteer/visionary liz HOWLS forming the absurdist performance group known as HAPPY ACCIDENT. HAPPY ACCIDENT has completed 2 successful national tours with their show, “Vol. 1, ” serving it to thousands of delighted customers. Drew has designed lighting for experimental musician Transparent Aluminum, New Orleans legends Quintron & Miss Pussycat and recently created a series of color luminants for artist Rankin Renwick’s installation Translation, Please at Anita Gallery.
Contact the Fringe Festival Box Office for up to date accessibility information.
Strobe/Flashing Lights
Fog/Smoke Effects
This event does not require masks to be worn