TAMING THE BEAST

Overview

Earl Krentzin (1929–2021) was a gentle dramatist and consummate prop master. He created theatrical settings in the round with a wry sense of humor and an appreciation for the absurdity of life. As a virtuoso silversmith who poured his considerable talents into figurative sculpture, Krentzin is an anomaly in the world of modern craft, having more in common with the sixteenth-century goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini than with his twentieth-century peers. Taming the Beast offers the breadth of Krentzin’s creations, their noble deeds, dangerous undertakings, and simple pleasures based on his love of toys, movement, and the mechanical arts. Readers will find humor and pathos in his theatrical settings and verisimilitude in every tiny detail, set amidst the burgeoning crafts scene in Detroit. All will discover a modern master who used amusements and daydreams to unlock the imagination.