PUPPET SHOWPLACE SLAM: Puppets for Adults!

THIS SATURDAY AT PST

Puppet Showplace Slam!

Saturday | July 23rd | 8 pm

$13/member or student, $15/general admission

Puppet Slam tickets always sell out, so BUY TICKETS HERE! or call the Box Office at 617-731-6400

About the Show: A puppet slam is an evening of short, varied, theatrical mini-plays for adults that use (or sometimes abuse) puppets for all or part of the drama. Each piece is performed by a different artist or artists, and the content can be wide-ranging; some are elegant or poignant, others are satiric, irreverent, or humorous, and still others can be passionate, political, or spiritual in nature. The performers range from the seasoned professional to the nascent puppeteer, and often include poets, musicians, dancers, mimes, actors, and other sundry affiliated artists.

Featured Performers:

Lorraine Gilman

Thomas Getchell

Woellert & Clark

Little's Creatures

....and MORE!

Confessions of a Slam Instigator

by Carl Weiting

Why Do Adults Need to See Live Puppet Shows?

Because the Internet can't heckle you back.

Because it's fun to see the soul of an old lady in a tomato.

Because if you watch talking furniture onstage it's less likely you will start talking to your own furniture.

Because the revolution is never over. Because it's fun to watch adults in a state of arrested development.

Because it's healthy to arrest your development for short periods of time.

Because nothing out of Hollywood can actually reach out and touch you.

Because old memories need to be kept young and new memories need to be made.

Because where else can you see 4,083 uses for felt & the common coat hanger.

Because even though you can't see the puppeteer's hands, you know what they are doing with them.

Because the world has too many televisions and not enough storytellers.

Because it's nice to know your trash is being put to good use.

Because instead of dumbing down, puppets smarten up their audience.

Because if you can't join 'em, beat 'em with a stick (says Mr. Punch).

Because the news doesn't run enough happy stories.

Because most puppets are actually smarter than most politicians.

Because the worries of the world never stop, but you can put them on hold till the end of the show.

Because why should kids have all the fun.

The next Slam is September 17th, but that's a long way off so come in and see what you think!

National Marionette Theatre Premieres "Pinocchio"

THIS WEEK AT PST

PREMIERE! "Pinocchio" by National Marrionette Theatre

Wed, Thurs & Sat | July 27, 28 & 30 | 10:30am & 1:00pm

Show: Wed, Thurs, & Sat | July 27, 28 & 30 | 10:30 am & 1 pm

$8/Members, $10/General Admission

About the Show: Carlo Collodi's epic about a puppet who wants to become a real boy is a classic example of storytelling at its best. Our adaptation is a faithful re-telling of this childhood favorite. Follow Pinocchio as he goes on a series of adventures and discovers that only by being truthful, selfless and kind to others will he realize his dream of becoming a real live boy.

Recommended for Ages 4 & up. Approx. 1 hr.

About the Performers: National Marionette Theatre is one of the oldest continually-running marionette theatres in the United States. Founded in 1967 by artistic director David A. Syrotiak, this award-winning company has been entertaining and amazing audiences around the world with their imaginative productions for over forty years. Each year this remarkable company travels some forty-five thousand miles across the USA perfoming for many different types of venues from elementary schools and theaters, to libraries, summer camps and outdoor fairs and festivals. Noted for their amazing manipulation technique and fully staged productions, National Marionette Theatre is committed to bringing audiences the very best in family entertainment.

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Special Workshop:

Inside Gepetto’s Workshop: Marionette Construction and Design

Sat. July 30th, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm

$5/person | Recommended for ages 5 & up

Building puppets for a show like "Pinocchio" requires great skill and a keen eye for detail. Kids and adults can learn more about the materials and methods used to make marionettes in this construction demonstration by NMT's master puppeteers. From Gepetto's workshop to the Syrotiak Family Studio, see how this great tradition has survived for centuries! Recommended for ages 5 and up.

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Raccoon Tales by Brad Shur

THIS WEEK AT PST

"Raccoon Tales" by Brad Shur

Weds, Thurs, & Sat | July 20, 21, & 23 | 10:30 am & 1 pm

$8/Members, $10/General Admission

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About the show: The animals in the forest are always getting into trouble playing tricks on each other. Will they learn their lessons? The show includes three humorous tails inspired by the Native American tales of the Seneca Tribe: How the Fox and the Raccoon Trick EachOther; Why the Blue Jay is Blue and the Gray Wolf Isn't; and, Why the Bear has a Stumpy Tail.

Hand Puppets, Recommended for ages 4 +

About the performer: Brad Shur, artist in residence at PST, has been professionally involved in puppetry for nearly 10 years. As a fan of all types of puppetry, Brad has built and performed with rod puppets, hand puppets, shadow puppets, larger-than-life costume puppets, Japanese bunraku puppets and marionettes. His shows are high energy blends where at least a few of these styles come together with storytelling, original scripts, and lots of audience participation.

You can catch Brad at least twice monthly at Puppet Showplace Theatre, performing any one of six shows in his repertoire: "Raccoon Tales," "Here Come the Clowns," "The Singing Turtle," "Dr. Doohickey's Monster Machine," "The Carrot Salesman," and his newest production "The Magic Soup and Other Tales."

Brad is also an experienced teacher and offers workshops and classes for all ages on site at PST or private bookings in addition to extended residencies. This programming includes shadow, hand, and rod puppets, or custom workshops. Click here for more info!

(Brad Shur and participants from Summer Saturday Workshop Series, July 2011)

Crabgrass Puppet Theatre at INCUBATOR This Week!

THIS TUESDAY AT PST

Incubator: Featuring

Crabgrass Puppet Theatre

TUES | JULY 12 | 7pm to 9pm

About Incubator at PST: Every other Tuesday from 7pm - 9pm, PST hosts a "drop-in" session where emerging artists, veteran puppeteers, teachers, and puppet enthusiasts gather to discuss and develop creative ideas in a casual, informal environment. It's a place where knowledge is shared, constructive critique is the norm, and collaborations are born. No matter where your interests lie, from traditional theatre to the avant garde, you're welcome at these sessions.

A $5 donation is suggested to cover costs, but no one is turned away. For more information, call 617.731.6400, or email us at artistic@puppetshowplace.org with "incubator" in the subject.

Incubator @ PST, Tuesday July 12th at 7:00 pm - Featuring Crabgrass Puppet Theatre!

Join us Tuesday night for a inspiring and informative Incubator session featuring special guests Bonny Hall and Jamie Keithline from Crabgrass Puppet Theatre. Learn how this duo has worked together to produce award-winning shows for over 30 years, including one of their most recent spectacles, Haiku, Hip Hop, and Hotdogs, showing at PST this week!

BUY TICKETS to performances, July 13th, 14th & 16th!

NEXT Incubator, Tuesday July 26th at 7:00 pm - Featuring National Marionette Theatre! Stay tuned for more information about our next Incubator featuring our favorite family of master marionettists from National Marionette Theatre talking about the development of their newest show, Pinocchio.

BUY TICKETS to performances, July 27th, 28th, 30th!

UPCOMING INCUBATORS

Aug 09 - Seeking featured artist, e-mail artistic@puppetshowplace.org

Aug 23- Seeking featured artist, e-mail artistic@puppetshowplace.org

Performances and Workshop by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre

THIS WEEK AT PST

"Haiku, HipHop & Hotdogs" by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre

TWO PERFORMANCES EACH DAY!

Wed, Thurs, & Sat | July 13, 14 & 16 | 10:30am & 1pm

$8/Members, $10/General Admission

Family Puppet Workshop: Crabgrass Drops the Curtain!

Sat | July 16 | 11:30am to 12:30pm

$3/Members, $5/General Admission

About the show: Haiku, HipHop and Hotdogs weaves favorite children’s poems into a seamless tapestry of art and entertainment for all audiences. View the natural world through a child’s eye in “Every Time I Climb a Tree!” Imagine a symphony composed entirely by the swimming of “The Goldfish!” Thrill to the exploits of aerodynamic sausages in “Fearless Flying Hotdogs!” Dance with the “Funky Snowman!” “Keep a Poem in Your Pocket” and – above all – “Do Not Approach an Emu!” The poems of Jack Prelutsky, Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, David McCord, Geoff Hewitt and others are featured in this exciting new creation from the award-winning Crabgrass Puppet Theatre.

Recommended for ages 4 & up.

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Thank you for haiku

I really like your monsters

Your show was so cool

- Fifth Grader, Comly School in Philadelphia

About the workshop: (Sat. July 16th at 11:30am) Learn how an innocent piece of cloth can become a terrifying bunch of spinach! See how a snowman can assemble itself on stage - and then dance! This curtains-off exposé provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the members of Crabgrass Puppet Theatre create their characters and perform their unique brand of puppetry.

Crabgrass drops the curtain and provides a below-the-playboard demonstration of several of the pieces in "Haiku, HipHop and Hotdogs," letting audience members in on what has to happen out of view of the audience to create the magic on stage.

Part demonstration, part hands-on participation, this workshop will expand your puppetry palette and open your eyes to the wide range of puppet possibilities.

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Giant Puppets for EVERYONE!!!

BIG NEWS ABOUT GIANT PUPPET CLASS:

Think Big! Giant Puppet Construction and Performance Class is now open for drop-in and adult enrollment!

DATES: July 18 - July 22 (Monday through Friday)

TIME: 3:30 to 5:30 pm
Public performance Saturday, July 23 at 8:00 pm
Only $125 per participant!

Register Online

About the class: Join us in July for a week of bringing giants to life! Students will learn how to dream big and work with others to make their visions a reality. Participants will learn how to create huge characters using cardboard and other simple materials, and fuse it all together with the magic of paper mache. We'll cover every stage of building a giant puppet from design to painting.It all culminates in

a performance featuring our creations at the July Puppet Slam, 8:00 pm on July 23rd!

About the instructor: Brad Shur is our current Artist In Residence. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and has been performing professionally for over ten years, beginning with nationally touring puppet companies such as Big Nazo and Wood and Strings Theater and more recently performing his own shows. He has built puppets for Dollywood and American Idol, as well as many others. This will be his first year offering this course at Puppet Showplace Theatre.

Want to see Brad in action in the classroom? Click here for photos from his last workshop at the Puppet Showplace, thanks to www.brookline.patch.com!

Registration: Rather pay by check? You can register by sending a check with your name, contact information, and a few sentences about your child's puppetry, arts, or performance background to:

Puppet Showplace Theatre
Attn: Think Big!
32 Station Street,
Brookline MA 02445

Questions? Contact the theatre at 617-731-6400 or e-mail Instructor Brad Shur at bshur@puppetshowplace.org.

Egyptian Deities Decorate the PST Lobby!

NEW LOBBY DISPLAY AT PST!

Thoth and Horus, mechanical moving sculptures created by Eric Bornstein of Behind the Mask Studio in Somerville MA now adorn the Puppet Showplace Lobby! They were last seen at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, but have been rescued from storage to join the butterfly and hummingbirds, also designed by Eric Bornstein, currently on display that the theatre. The Puppet Showplace will be the home of these two Egyptian Deities for the remainder of the summer. Take a look for yourself before you see one of our many exciting new shows this month, or stop by anytime Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm when the Box Office and Puppet Store are open.

About the Artist: Eric BornsteinEric has studied with masters Agung Suardana in Bali, and Donato Sartori in Italy. He received his MLA in Fine Arts along with the Thomas Small prize from Harvard University. His masks have appeared most recently in the 31st Cambridge River Festival, Contemporary Theater of Boston’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Performance Lab’s Le Cabaret Grimm, Underground Railway Theater’s Life of Galileo, and the Harvard Yiddish Players’ Shulamis.

Over the last 30 years Eric’s masked characters have appeared in a variety of venues. They were a highlight of Boston’s First Night celebration for 15 years. His masks have also appeared at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, the Fuller Craft Museum, the Kennedy Library/Museum, the Boston Lyric Opera, the Boston Ballet, the Society of Arts & Crafts (Newbury Street), The Peabody/Essex Museum, King Richard's Faire, and Revels. He currently teaches classes in making and performing masks, and offers performances and residencies to schools throughout the state through Young Audiences of Massachusetts. Behind the Mask Studio was founded by Eric Bornstein in 1990.

More new displays coming soon this summer at Puppet Showplace Theatre!

Crabgrass Puppet Theatre Premieres "Smart & Small Conquers All"

THIS WEEK AT PST
"Smart & Small Conquers All" by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre

TWO PERFORMANCES EACH DAY!
Wed, Thurs & Sat | July 6, 7 & 9 | 10:30am & 1pm

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About this show: With beautiful puppets and their signature hilarious style, the award-winning Crabgrass Puppet Theatre presents for the first time at the Puppet Showplace Theatre this collection of tales from Africa, Asia and Europe that will inspire and enthrall children of all sizes. Can a tortoise win a tug of war with a mighty elephant? Can a tiny mouse help an enormous lion? Can a jackal outwit a terrifying tiger twice his size? Find out as Crabgrass Puppet Theatre travels around the globe to tell stories that show even the small and weak can have a big impact on the world. More about these stories:

Tug of War
From West Africa comes a story of arrogance and humility. The tortoise uses his intelligence to outsmart the elephant and the hippopotamus and show that he can pull his own weight – and theirs as well!

The Tiger, the Brahman and the Jackal
An Indian tale about trust and the importance of keeping your word. The clever jackal teaches the tiger a lesson in honesty and saves the Brahman’s life along the way.

The Lion and the Mouse
Aesop’s classic fable of friendship. The lion spares the mouse and in return the mouse saves the lion from the hunters. Even those small in stature can do great deeds.

About the performer: CRABGRASS PUPPET THEATRE is an award-winning touring puppet theatre founded in San Francisco in 1982 by Jamie Keithline and Bonny Hall. They have since delighted audiences across the nation with their whimsical humor and puppetry. Now residents of Halifax, Vermont, they continue to tour throughout the U.S., performing in schools, museums and theaters. In 2010, Irish puppeteer and actor (and UConn graduate) Fergus Walsh joined the company just in time to help create Haiku, HipHop and Hotdogs - Poetry Comes Alive, the newest show from Crabgrass. Crabgrass Puppet Theatre has twice been awarded the prestigious Citation of Excellence from the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionette (UNIMA-USA), the highest honor in American puppetry, in 2001 and again in 2005.

In 2008, Bonny Hall received a Commendation for Design in the Puppet Theatre from the Arlyn Award Foundation. They have given many thousands of performances in schools, libraries, museums, and arts festivals, and have performed at over two dozen regional, national and international puppetry festivals. Crabgrass Puppet Theatre's performing venues have included the World Trade Center, the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, the Philadelphia Museum, Paper Mill Playhouse, the North Carolina Museum, the New York State Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, the California Academy of Sciences, the Detroit Institute for the Arts, and hundreds of schools, museums, and theaters across the country. Crabgrass Puppet Theatre continues to perform more than 200 shows each year, reaching over 100,000 people throughout the US. Check out their website to learn more.

"The stage was lovely - the puppets beautiful - it was excellent!"

. . . Mariposa Museum, Peterborough NH
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Summer Saturday Family Workshop July 2nd!

THIS 4th of JULY WEEKEND!
Summer Saturday Family Workshop:
NEW! Our "Summer Saturday" family workshop series takes place on the first Saturday of each summer month (June, July, and August). These are participatory workshops where adults and children work together to build and perform with puppets. Space for these workshops is limited, so pre-registration is STRONGLY encouraged. Call the box office at 617-731-6400 today to reserve your space! Cost: $15/adult, $10/child (Member price $13/adult, $8/child).

Big Stories: Paul Bunyan & Participatory Puppet Theater

Sat | July 2 | 10:30am to 12:30pm
About this workshop: Did you ever wonder how puppeteers tell such big stories with such small characters? Celebrate American Independence by bringing to life the classic American Folk Tale, Paul Bunyan! Families will learn how puppeteers use movement and sound to bring multiple styles of puppets to life. All participants will get to practice manipulation exercises with simple puppets provided by the instructor. Then, together we will put on a show!

About the artist: Brad Shur has been professionally involved in puppetry for over 10 years. He began as a performer with the Providence puppet and mask company Big Nazo while studying film and animation at the Rhode Island School of Design. He has worked in various capacities with Wood & Strings Theatre (Tennessee), and Vermont PuppetTree, and as a builder has designed and fabricated puppets for American Idol, Dollywood, and other theaters and performers from Austin, Texas to Boston, Massachusetts. All of the puppets Brad uses in his performances come from his workshop, where he builds them by hand from wood, paper, plastic, foam and fabric. He's built and performed with rod puppets, hand puppets, shadow puppets, larger-than-life costume puppets, Japanese bunraku puppets and marionettes. His shows are high energy blends where at least a few of these styles come together with storytelling, original scripts, and lots of audience participation.

You can catch Brad at least twice monthly at Puppet Showplace Theatre, performing any one of six shows in his repertoire: "Raccoon Tales," "Here Come the Clowns," "The Singing Turtle," "Dr. Doohickey's Monster Machine," "The Carrot Salesman," and his newest production "The Magic Soup and Other Tales." His shows are high energy blends where at least a few of these styles come together with storytelling, original scripts, and lots of audience participation.

"Brad Shur is a fabulous puppeteer as well as an inspiring teacher."

-Review on Ticketleap.com

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