Can beans make wishes come true?

UP NEXT: 3rd Annual Fall Fairy Tale Festival Continues...

"Jack and the Beanstalk" 

by Spring Valley Puppet Theater 

Fri, October 4 at 10:30 a.m.

Sat & Sun, October 5 & 6 at 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.

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Bound up the beanstalk with Jack this week at Puppet Showplace! This exciting traditional retelling of the classic story is brought to life by Michael Graham of Spring Valley Puppet Theater from New Haven, CT. That's right, Michael is the magician behind the stage making the story come to life right before your eyes! How does he do it? Find out after the show when he brings out all of your favorite characters for a show and tell, question and answer demonstration.

About the show: Can beans make wishes come true? They can and do in "Jack and the Beanstalk," the award-winning puppet production of Michael Graham's Spring Valley Puppet Theater. When Jack trades the family cow for a few magic beans — which grow into a beanstalk overnight — he climbs it to find adventure and fortune. Along the way he meets a feisty and funny chicken, a magic singing harp, and one real rat of a giant. This popular classic features beautifully crafted hand and rod puppets, colorful scenic design, special effects, and an original script in which Jack, with the help of a clever chicken, saves the day!

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.

Learn more about Michael Graham and Spring Valley Puppet Theater: CLICK HERE

Ahoy Tharrrrr Land lovers!

UP NEXT: 3rd Annual Fall Fairy Tale Festival Continues...

"The Pirate, the Princess and the Pea" 

by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre
Sept 28 & 29 (Sat, Sun) at 1:00 & 3:00pm

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Our Fall Fairy Tale Festival continues this weekend with an exciting twist on a classic tale! You've heard of "The Princess and the Pea" before, right? Well, what if there was a PIRATE in the story? 

Find out what happens this weekend when a pirate and a princess look for buried treasure in this brand new swash-buckeling tale by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre of Vermont.

About the show:  In "The Pirate, The Princess, and the Pea," Crabgrass Puppet Theatre presents a thrilling voyage chock full of sea monsters, shipwrecks, and mistaken pirate/princess identities. A pirate and a princess are on a treasure hunt, searching for the same clues. The princess stays one step ahead by tricking the pirate at every turn. But when the princess is in danger from a giant octopus, she quickly discovers the benefit of having a loyal crew! Featuring colorful scenery, multiple styles of puppetry, and original pirate songs, you won't want to miss the boat on this fun adventure tale!

About the performer: Jamie Keithline and Bonny Hall formed Crabgrass Puppet Theatre in San Francisco in 1982 and have delighted audiences across the nation with their whimsical humor and puppetry ever since. Their performing venues have included the Detroit Institute of Art, the Smithsonian, Paper Mill Playhouse, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They have been awarded two Citations of Excellence from UNIMA-USA, the highest puppetry award in the United States, and in 2009, Bonny Hall was awarded a Design Commendation from the Arlyn Award Foundation. 

Discover more about Crabgrass Puppet Theatre on their website: CLICK HERE

Hop-on-over to Puppet Showplace this weekend!

UP NEXT: 3rd Annual Fall Fairy Tale Festival Continues...

"The Frog Prince" 
by Pumpernickel Puppets 
Sat & Sun, Sept 14 & 15 at 1pm & 3pm

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About the show: Young Prince Tad has been caught teasing the forest creatures again! A magic tree turns him into a frog to teach him a lesson. Along the way, he meets a princess who could turn him back with a kiss. Will she do it? Yuck! All ends happily as the characters learn about being kind and keeping promises. "The Frog Prince" features a cast of colorful puppet characters, audience participation, live voices and sound effects, and fun behind-the-scenes puppet demonstrations.

Pumpernickel Puppets shows are a great introduction to live puppetry, and they work well for our youngest audiences. The characters are eye-catching, the storytelling is straightforward, and the performance has breaks built in between sections of the show for wiggly audience members. John McDonough has a gentle yet energetic personality that captivates audiences of all ages.

About the performer: The Pumpernickel Puppets are the creation of John McDonough of Worcester, Massachusetts. John was four years old when he saw his first puppet show, and he immediately knew that he wanted to be a puppeteer. By his teens, John was presenting shows all over the New England area. The Pumpernickel Puppets have had the honor of appearing at The Puppet Showplace Theatre, Boston Children’s Museum, The Institute of Professional Puppetry Arts at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, The Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., The Cultural Olympiad at The Center For Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia, and the prestigious International Festival of Puppet Theatre sponsored by the Jim Henson Foundation at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York. For each production, John creates and performs all of his own puppets, which range from small hand puppets to larger-than-life figures.