Puppet Showplace has a new look!
We are excited to present our new logo and website, just in time to kick-off our 40th Anniversary season.
Our new blog can be found HERE on our new website!
Puppet Showplace is New England's Puppet Theater; the first and only theater in the region solely dedicated to high-quality puppetry performance and education for audiences of all ages. Our blog helps readers plug into the puppetry community, learn about upcoming events, or take a behind-the scenes-tour of our many shows and classes.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Puppet Showplace Celebrates 40th Anniversary
40th Anniversary Legacy Gala
Monday June 2, 2014
6:30 - 9:30 PM
at the
George H. Wightman Mansion
43 Hawes Street
Brookline, Massachusetts
Join us this Monday, June 2nd, at the beautiful George H. Wightman Mansion for an evening that celebrate our 40 year history as New England's puppet theater, as well as the art of puppetry! With performances by some of our favorite puppeteers, a silent auction of incredible items, cocktails, and delicious catering provided by Whole Foods Brighton, this will not be a night to miss!
The George H. Wightman Mansion
PERFORMANCES:
Throughout the evening, we will have performances taking place all over the Mansion, including live music. Many of our favorite puppeteers from across the years will be performing in rotation, so everyone will be able to see their talent and skill.
-Featured Performers-
Tanglewood Marionettes
Dream Tale Puppets
Crabgrass Puppet Theatre
Great Small Works
Resident Artist Brad Shur
Brenda Huggins and Phil Berman
Ronald Binion
John Lechner
Mask Ensemble with Avital Peleg
Michelle Finston and Christine Dempsey
Gavin Cummins
With musical performances by:
Brendan Burns & Tony Leva, Phil Berman & Paul Watkins
FUNDRAISING
Aside from our performances, we will be having a silent auction inside of the Mansion. There will be many items available to bid on, the majority of which were donated by our very generous partners in the community. Check out a sampling of our wonderful donors below:
Fundraising Goals:
All Legacy Gala contributions will support our three major fundraising initiatives:
Artists' Fund: As New England's puppet theater, we are always expanding our roster of artists. This fund provides audiences access to regional premieres of exceptional puppetry productions from companies they may not have seen before.
Facilities Fund: As a cultural destination, we are planning upgrades and renovations to the spaces that make up the theater, enhancing the physical aspects of what makes our theater a gateway to creativity and self-discovery.
Mary Churchill Memorial Fund: As a community partner, we are committed to increasing access to live performing arts for school children regardless of their ability to pay. Named for our founder, this fund is exclusively available to school groups who otherwise would not be able to attend our performances, in order to reach a broader audience of children.
Join us in honoring these remarkable individuals in the areas of excellence in puppetry arts and exceptional creative leadership!
PAUL VINCENT DAVIS AWARD:
Dr. John Bell & Trudi Cohen
Great Small Works
John Bell is Director of the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and an Associate Professor of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut. He and Trudi Cohen met as puppeteers in the Bread and Puppet Theater where they both worked from 1975 to 1986; and are founding members of the Great Small Works theater collective, based in NYC.
John received his doctoral degree in theater history from Columbia University in 1993 and is the author of many books and articles about puppet theater, including co-editing the forthcoming Routledge Guide to Puppetry and Material Performance. Trudi has been producing director of Great Small Works’ three most recent International Toy Theater Festivals in Brooklyn, NY; and John is artistic director of the 2015 Puppeteers of America National Festival. Trudi and John play in the Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band, and are organizers of the annual HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands in Somerville, MA.
CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AWARD:
Dr. Susan Linn
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
Susan Linn is Director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. Her book, Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood launched the movement to reclaim childhood from corporate marketers.
Dr. Linn is also an award winning ventriloquist and children’s entertainer and is internationally known for her innovative use of puppets in child psychotherapy, which she pioneered at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Among many other honors, Dr. Linn received a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association for her work on behalf of children. Her work with puppets has been honored by the Union Internationale de la Marionette and Puppeteers of America.
GETTING EXCITED? WE ARE! RSVP HERE
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Frogs, Frogs, and More Frogs!
"Puppeteers of New England"
Series of puppet shows that celebrate exciting and diverse
work by puppetry artists from the Northeast.
We're going froggy this weekend here at Puppet Showplace! Join Andrew and Bonnie Periale of the Perry Alley Theatre for a hopping good time as they perform the well-known tale "The Frog Prince," along with two other froggy fables.
"The Frog Prince and Other Frogs"
by Perry Alley Theatre
Thurs & Fri, May 29 & 30, at 10:30 am
Saturday, May 31, at 1 & 3 pm
No performances Sunday
by Perry Alley Theatre
Thurs & Fri, May 29 & 30, at 10:30 am
Saturday, May 31, at 1 & 3 pm
No performances Sunday
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Hop along with Perry Alley Theatre through the wonderful world of Frogs. This show includes the beloved “Frog Prince,” in which an exceedingly silly Princess is helped by an enchanted frog and learns not to make promises she can’t keep. Then, in "The Evolution of Frogs"-- Dive with us into the depths of ancient oceans to follow the evolution of one-celled creatures into clams, worms, fish and finally ancient frogs—a riveting romp through pre-history. Finally, in "Frog and Eggplant"--Two friends are dissatisfied with their lives, and wish they could trade places. A spirit overhears them and grants them their wish, with disastrous (and hilarious) consequences!
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:
Andrew and Bonnie Periale founded Perry Alley Theatre in 1986 and moved to their current home and studio in NH in 1988. Together, they’ve produced a dozen major shows and many shorter pieces for touring. Andrew and Bonnie have performed at numerous national and regional festivals, at the Smithsonian Institution, the Center for Puppetry Arts (Atlanta), the Jim Henson International Festival of Puppetry and many other venues across the U.S. as well as in France and Italy. They have produced the magazines for UNIMA-USA for 28 years, establishing Puppetry International magazine in the early 1990s.
Recognition includes The Paul Vincent Davis Award, the George Latshaw Award, 3 Henson Foundation grants, 2 UNIMA Citations, an Emmy nomination, finalists in the International Festival of Film and Television and, from UNIMA-USA, a Lifetime Achievement award. www.perryalley.com.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Traditional Tales Enchant Brookline This Week!
"Puppeteers of New England"
Series of puppet shows that celebrate exciting and diverse
work by puppetry artists from the Northeast.
"The Three Wishes And A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing"
by Spring Valley Puppets
Thurs & Fri, May 22nd and 23rd, at 10:30 am
Sat & Sun, May 24th and 25th. at 1:00 and 3:00 pm
This week is filled with delightful mischief as two popular fables take the stage at Puppet Showplace! Join Michael Graham of Spring Valley Puppets from New Haven, CT as he and his hand-crafted glove puppets weave a magic all their own.
 |
| "The Three Wishes" |
- Comprehensive Arts Program - New Haven, CT
 |
| "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" |
"...[A] delightful performance! Beautiful scenery and charming puppets ... a professional production that delighted the students and staff."
- Parkway School - Greenwich, CT
About the show:Stunning craftsmanship and delightful special effects bring two traditional tales to life in this elegant puppet production. In "The Three Wishes," a magical elf wreaks havoc in the household of an elderly woodcutter and his wife while teaching us a lesson about getting stuck in our routines. Then, a little lamb proves that she's not so helpless in an original adaptation of "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing". Based on Aesop's popular fable, this story is enlivened with a colorful Mexican setting, a humorous communication gap, and a surprise ending!
About the performer:
Michael Graham has performed with puppets since he was a young boy. He founded the Spring Valley Puppet Theater in 1977. Since then, he has performed throughout New England, primarily for schools and libraries. His work has been featured numerous times at regional and national festivals of the Puppeteers of America, and he is a recipient of the prestigious UNIMA citation of excellence. Michael designs and makes all of his puppets by hand, writes his own scripts, creates the scenery, and performs many of the voices.
He graduated from Western Connecticut State College with a degree in Elementary Education and Spanish, and has created many bilingual adaptations of folk tales. Michael has been a guest instructor at the University of Connecticut Puppet Arts program, the Institute of Professional Puppetry Arts (IPPA) at the O'Neill Theatre Center, and has presented casting and hand puppet construction workshops for puppetry guilds in Connecticut and Massachusetts. www.springvalleypuppets.com
Michael Graham has performed with puppets since he was a young boy. He founded the Spring Valley Puppet Theater in 1977. Since then, he has performed throughout New England, primarily for schools and libraries. His work has been featured numerous times at regional and national festivals of the Puppeteers of America, and he is a recipient of the prestigious UNIMA citation of excellence. Michael designs and makes all of his puppets by hand, writes his own scripts, creates the scenery, and performs many of the voices.
He graduated from Western Connecticut State College with a degree in Elementary Education and Spanish, and has created many bilingual adaptations of folk tales. Michael has been a guest instructor at the University of Connecticut Puppet Arts program, the Institute of Professional Puppetry Arts (IPPA) at the O'Neill Theatre Center, and has presented casting and hand puppet construction workshops for puppetry guilds in Connecticut and Massachusetts. www.springvalleypuppets.com
Friday, May 16, 2014
Mother Goose in Brookline this May!
"Puppeteers of New England"
Series of puppet shows that celebrate exciting and diverse
work by puppetry artists from the Northeast.
It's a weekend filled with your favorite Mother Goose rhymes at Puppet Showplace...or rather...FATHER Goose! Join Jim Napolitano of Nappy's Puppets from New Haven, CT for hilarious renditions of your favorite nursery rhymes. His signature shadow puppet style will have you in stitches!
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If that's not enough laughs for you, then join us Saturday, May 17 for two special performances of "Mother Goose and Friends" by Sparky's Puppets from Providence, Rhode Island. Help us celebrate these two amazing performers from New England during our "Puppeteers of New England" series. VIEW FULL CALENDAR
"Father Goose's Tales" by Nappy's Puppets
Thurs & Fri, May 15 & 16 at 10:30am
Sun, May 18 at 1 & 3pm
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Jim Napolitano, a.k.a. “Uncle Nappy,” is a Connecticut native and one of America’s most-loved shadow puppeteers. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts program, and has taught puppetry to students of all ages throughout New England. For over 20 years Nappy’s Puppets has toured nationally to theatres, festivals, libraries, and museums, delighting audiences of all ages with quality shadow theatre productions.
Jim has also worked extensively as a freelance artist and puppeteer. As a member of Bits and Pieces Puppet Theatre he performed musicals with giant puppets across the country and around the world, including at the National Cultural Center in Japan and the National Theatre in Taiwan. His television credits include Between the Lions, The Book of Pooh, and segments for Nickelodeon, Scholastic Home Video, and HBO Pictures. He currently resides in Connecticut with his wife and two children.
"Mother Goose and Friends" by Sparky's Puppets
Sat, May 17 at 1 & 3pm
About the performer: Kathleen “Sparky” Davis began dramatizing stories with hand puppets while working as a children's librarian. Since 1980, Sparky's Puppets have delighted children and family audiences at schools, libraries and festivals throughout New England. Every summer, Sparky creates a special show for the Rhode Island statewide public libraries' summer reading program.
Sparky loves to see children's reactions to their favorite stories brought to life with endearing puppet characters. She is known for her quick wit and hilarious sense of humor. A preschool child at a recent show was heard to say. "It was so funny I burst out laughing!"
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