Celebrate Spring at PST!

From March to June, PST is presenting "Spring Celebrations," a collection of shows featuring classic and original stories, along with live music and musical themes!

SHOW CALENDAR

We also have NEW programming on Friday afternoons! Our After School Puppet Shows happen at 3:30pm the second Friday of each spring month (March, April, and May). Here's what to expect at our After School programs:

• Puppet demonstration
• Q&A session with the puppeteer
• FREE healthy snacks provided by Whole Foods

The following shows are part of our After School Series :

The Reluctant Dragon by All Hands Productions Friday, March 9 at 3:30pm

The Magic Soup and Other Tales by Brad Shur Friday, April 13 at 3:30pm

Dr. Doohickey's Monster Machine by Brad Shur Friday, May 11 at 3:30pm

For more information read our press release, call the box office at 617-731-6400, or visit us online at www.puppetshowplace.org.

Aargh! Vacation Week! Sail the seas in Everybody Loves Pirates!

LAST SHOW FOR VACATION WEEK AT PST!

Fri, Sat & Sun | Feb 24 - 26 | 10:30am, 1pm & 3pm

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Vacation week at PST is coming to a close, but not without one last hurrah! Sail the seas in "Everybody Loves Pirates" by Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers!

About the show: "Everybody Loves Pirates" is the story of a young girl named Lucy and her goofy friend, Little Chucky. While fishing one day, the kids discover a treasure map and decide to set out on a quest to find their fortune. Unfortunately, they run into a group of bumbling pirates who try to thwart their efforts by stealing the treasure. Of course, it all works out in the end with some help from Chucky and Lucy's new ocean-dwelling friends, including Lobster Boy, Crabby and a wise Sea Monkey.

Recommended for ages 4 & up.

About the performer: Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers is a small puppetry troupe based in Bar Harbor, Maine, and comprised of three siblings - Erik, Brian, and Robin Torbeck. Founded in 2000, Frogtown Mountain has performed at fairs, festivals, theatres, parades, schools, libraries, and some of the finest petting zoos on the East Coast. All their shows are written by the troupe and are performed with their hand-made puppets.

Vacation to Africa with Trickster Tales at PST!

VACATION WEEK AT PST!

Tues, Wed, & Thurs | Feb 21, 22 & 23 | 10:30am & 1pm

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Get woven into Barefoot Puppets' African stories in "Trickster Tales" this week at PST!

About the show: Can a spider defeat an elephant at tug-of-war? Overpower a python? Capture a cloud of hornets? With Anansi the Spider, world famous trickster, all things are possible...if you only have a plan! This show brings traditional stories from West Africa to live with expressive rod puppets, original music, and lots of puns. Performed on a large, twelve-foot stage with colorful scenery and amazing scene changes. It's a high-energy show with lots of laughs!

Recommended for ages 3 & up.

About the performer: Barefoot Puppets takes folktales from around the world and gives them a contemporary twist - with puppets! Even though the stories are classic, all of Barefoot Puppets' scripts, sets, musics, and of course puppets, are completely original. They've performed around the country at venues like The Smithsonian Discovery Theater as well as at various puppetry festivals. Barefoot Puppets has also been seen in the Great White North (otherwise known as Canada) at the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival.

VACATION WEEK comes to PST with THE LITTLE BREAD HEN!

VACATION WEEK AT PST!

Sat & Sun | Feb 18 & 19 | 1pm & 3pm
Mon | Feb 20 | 10:30am & 1pm

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If you thought you knew the tale of The Little Red Hen, think again! Barefoot Puppets starts off PST's Vacation Week with their twist on the tale.

About the show: Inspired by the classic tale of The Little Red Hen, this version reveals the truth about what really happened that fateful day when a chicken decided to bake a loaf of bread. Were the other farm animals just lazy or was there something else stewing in the barnyard? Journey to a small European bakery as we cook up the answers to these questions and more in this hilariously tasty retelling!

Recommended for ages 4 & up.

About the performer: Barefoot Puppets takes folktales from around the world and gives them a contemporary twist - with puppets! Even though the stories are classic, all of Barefoot Puppets' scripts, sets, musics, and of course puppets, are completely original. They've performed around the country at venues like The Smithsonian Discovery Theater as well as at various puppetry festivals. Barefoot Puppets has also been seen in the Great White North (otherwise known as Canada) at the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival.

"Shadow" Brad Shur in PST's Shadow Puppetry workshop!

FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 19 AT PST!

Introduction to Shadow Puppetry

This 4-week class will give you all the tools you need
to create an original shadow puppet show!

Instructor: Brad Shur
Four sessions, February 27 - March 19
Monday nights, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Cost: $120 (PST members save 10%!)

Register online!

What do translucent animal skins and overhead projectors have in common? Shadow puppetry is a centuries-old art form that is constantly evolving to incorporate new materials and technologies.

In "Introduction to Shadow Puppetry," students will learn the history of shadow performance and see examples of the exciting work being developed by today's shadow puppeteers. Through building and performance assignments, the class will explore diverse styles of shadow puppets ranging from simple hand shadows to elaborate cut-out figures with moving parts. By the end of the class, students will have acquired all the tools they need to create their own shadow puppet show!

Questions? Contact our box office for more details about these and other upcoming events at 617-731-6400.

Have a bowl of "Magic Soup" by Brad Shur!

THIS WEEK AT PST

Sat & Sun | Feb 11 & 12 | 1pm & 3pm
Wed & Thurs | Feb 15 & 16 | 10:30am

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Drink up PST's artist-in-residence Brad Shur's imaginative puppeteering of traditional Jewish tales!

About the show: The Magic Soup presents stories taken from the rich Jewish folk tradition of Eastern Europe. In these short tales, everyone is looking for something, whether it’s a bowl of soup, a bit of peace and quiet, or the perfect pair of shoes. It is those with wit, humor and imagination who have the best chance of finding their dreams.

Performed with mixed styles of puppetry, including rod, shadow and tabletop.

Recommended for ages 4 and up.

About the performer: Brad Shur is currently the artist-in-residence at PST. He has been active in the professional puppeteering world for over a decade, ever since he was studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. Brad performs with all forms of puppetry, from rod puppets and shadow puppets to Japanese bunraku puppets and marionettes. In 2007, Brad built and designed puppets of the 10 American Idol finalists for a Ford commercial which you can view here.

Come on "An Arabian Adventure" with PST!

THIS WEEK AT PST

Wed & Thurs | Feb 8 & 9 | 10:30am

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Go from PST to the Middle East in Tanglewood Marionettes' elaborate performance of a classic Arabian fairytale!

About the show: Featuring over a dozen beautifully hand-crafted marionettes and exquisite “story-book” style scenery, “An Arabian Adventure” tells the tale of a Persian prince who is thrown into a dungeon because of his love for a beautiful princess. Facing danger at every turn, the courageous prince must battle his way out of the underground prison to save his princess from a tragic fate.

The soundtrack features professional actors set to the background of classical music from favorite composers, as well as traditional Middle Eastern music. The program is presented with the marionettists in full view, so that the audience can witness firsthand the mechanics of puppet manipulation.

Replete with clever stage illusions and lighting effects, “An Arabian Adventure” is an action-packed drama that is sure to delight audiences of all ages while introducing them to the magical world of puppet theater.

About the performer: Tanglewood Marionettes is a New England based marionette theater formed in 1993 by Anne Ware and Peter Schaefer. Their specialty is combining adept puppeteers with classic tales to delight children of all ages. Besides performing at PST, they have also been seen at The Children's Museum in Boston, the Boston Athenaeum, the Yale Art Gallery, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and more. Tanglewood Marionettes has been awarded the UNIMA Citation, the highest award in puppetry, for both "An Arabian Adventure" and "The Dragon King."