What is the story?

What is this Paper Canoe? Why is it here? Where does it go from here? 

Think of a paper canoe. It is a remarkable bit of engineering. A flat piece of paper is folded in such a way that it becomes a vessel. But not just any vessel. It is not one that eats up a huge amount of gas, or carries freight. It's not exactly 'practical' or utilitarian in that sense. That is exactly what is so beautiful and useful about it. A Paper Canoe is a vessel for the imagination. It is a thing of ephemeral loveliness that prods you to imagine. It invites you to create a story, a universe of possibility, and in your mind you float with it downstream.  

The company Paper Canoe tells stories that invite you to imagine. It was formed by a small group of friends who had all recently become parents. As lifelong story tellers, theater makers, directors, writers, choreographers, etc...we wanted to bring our attention to stories that would be good for families. We have a simple idea that families who tell a lot of stories, and enjoy stories together are the happiest kind of families. Happy families make happy communities. Happy communities make a happier world. 


That seems to us like a great mission. 


We started making a work for the stage. You can read more about that here. But we quickly realized that even though the theater is certainly the most powerful place to experience a story, there is no reason why we should stop there. Stories are books, stories are videos, stories can even happen on a T-Shirt, a mobile app, a coffee cup. The important thing is that stories are to be shared with the ones you love. 

So what is Paper Canoe? It is 'devised transportation.' The simple shape of a great story. A vessel for your imagination. We hope it will take your family everywhere you want to go. Together.