Duke Arts Presents: Parched | Created by Official Puppet Business

In the far-flung future, water scarcity has led to humanity's extinction. A sentient mushroom, inhabiting plastic bottles like a hermit crab, scours the desert wastes in search of water. Getting lost in a sandstorm she stumbles upon a remnant of human technology, a deep well drill, and manages to turn it on. The earth trembles as the machinery is resurrected, succeeding in extracting some water, but also awakening something forgotten, buried deep in the sand. Something with an insatiable thirst...

From the team that brought you Bill's 44th (2025 Drama Desk Nominee for Outstanding Puppetry, New York Times Critics' Pick), Parched is a cinematic theatrical experience. Performed by an ensemble of eight, Parched uses intricate puppetry, stunning visuals, a live band, sharp humor, and no dialogue to explore ideas of revenge, scarcity, greed, and finding hope in a tumultuous ride among the tumbleweeds.