Feast your eyes on "The Magic Soup and Other Stories"

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND!

The Ugly Truth

"The Magic Soup and Other Stories"

by Brad Shur, Artist in Residence

Fri, Nov 29 at 10:30am & 1pm 
Fri- (SOLD OUT)

Sat & Sun, Nov 30-Dec 1 at 1 & 3pm

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Puppet Showplace is proud to present a collection of Yiddish folktales that brings the whole family together for a wild puppet adventure! This original story featuring favorite tales from the Jewish folk tradition was written by Artist in Residence, Brad Shur. He designed the set, hand built all of the puppet characters, and performs the show solo. Feast your eyes on the magical world of "The Magic Soup and Other Stories" this Thanksgiving weekend at Puppet Showplace! (Friday performances are already SOLD OUT, so make your reservation today!)

From the story: "The Very Small House"

About the show: What do you do when your relatives are coming over for dinner, but there's no food in sight? A young man's search for a family recipe ends up bringing folk tales to life...in his kitchen. Based on a collection of traditional Yiddish stories, "The Magic Soup" teaches that it is those with wit, humor and imagination who have the best chance of filling their bellies -- and fulfilling their dreams.

About the performer: Brad Shur is a versatile puppeteer who has created and performed characters made of everything from pixels to papier mache. As the Artist in Residence at Puppet Showplace Theatre he performs regularly and teaches puppetry classes to students of all ages, Pre-K to adult. As protégé of master puppeteer Paul Vincent Davis, Shur trained extensively in glove puppetry and currently performs two of Davis’ classic shows at venues across New England. Shur’s original works include "The Carrot Salesman," "Dr. Doohickey and the Monster Machine," "The Yankee Peddler: Stories and Songs from Old New England" and "The Magic Soup and Other Stories," recently featured at the Puppeteers of America National Festival 2013. Shur is currently working on a new adaptation of "Robin Hood," set to open in January 2014. Prior to becoming the Artist in Residence at Puppet Showplace, Shur toured the country as a performer with Big Nazo (Rhode Island), Wood & Strings Theatre (Tennessee) and The PuppeTree (Vermont). As a builder Shur has designed and fabricated puppets for American Idol, Dollywood, Avenue Q, and the U.S.S. Constitution Museum. Shur is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design.

Brad Shur, Puppet Showplace Artist in Residence

Dreams of the BIG TOP at Puppet Showplace!

FINAL SHOW of the CIRCUS SPECTACULAR series!

"Circus Dreams"

by Tuckers' Tales Puppet Theater

Thurs & Fri November 21-22 @ 10:30 am, 

Sat  & Sun, November 23-24 @ 1:00 & 3:00 pm

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Join us for our last week of circus fun at Puppet Showplace! Our friends Tuckers' Tales are here from Philadelphia, PA with a circus variety show full of silly clowns and zany characters. See you at the theatre!

About the show: Have you ever dreamed of being in the circus? Join Tuckers’ Tales on a journey of the imagination in two original Big Top tales. First, Jeffrey the Bear has wanted to be a circus clown for as long as he could remember. Will this little bear get his wish to become a big star? Then, a zany ringmaster and his clown “assistants” are determined to see the show go on, despite bungled magic tricks and escaping animals. The result is a lively variety show featuring lovable characters, constant surprises, and fun!

About the performer: Tuckers’ Tales is a puppet company based outside of Philadelphia. Co-directors and husband and wife team Marianne and Tom Tucker performed together as folk musicians for over a decade when they decided form their own puppet company in 1981. The Tuckers now have over two dozen original puppet productions in their repertoire, ranging from folk tales and legends to hilarious children’s variety shows. Every year Tuckers’ Tales appears at puppet, folk, ethnic and street festivals; and at craft fairs, shopping centers, theaters and schools around the country.

Here Come the Clowns!

CIRCUS SPECTACULAR!

Nov 7-24: VIEW FULL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

UP NEXT: "Clown Circus"

by Paul Vincent Davis, 
performed by Brad Shur, artist in residence 

Sat & Sun, November 16-17 @ 1 & 3 pm

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From silly characters to not-so-ferocious lions, "Clown Circus" features a high energy cast of clowns in hilarious vaudeville bits that will have audiences in stitches! The show was created by award-winning puppeteer, Paul Vincent Davis, Puppet Showplace Theatre's artist in residence emeritus.

Our current artist in residence, Brad Shur performs "Clown Circus," passing on the traditions from the artist in residence before him. As protégé of master puppeteer Paul Vincent Davis, Shur trained extensively in glove puppetry and currently performs many of Paul's classic shows at venues across New England.

About the show: Clowns come in all shapes and sizes, but everything about them is larger-than-life. Join Dusty and his friends Pierrot, Zany and Guffaw for this fun, interactive variety show that features circus-inspired singing, dancing, storytelling, lion-taming, and more.

This colorful performance, originally created by master puppeteer Paul Vincent Davis, is a favorite for young audiences (and their grown-ups).

About the show's creator: Master Puppeteer Paul Vincent Davis is widely recognized as one of America's foremost glove puppeteers. For over 30 years he served as Artist in Residence at Puppet Showplace Theatre where he and founder Mary Churchill worked tirelessly to establish a home for puppetry in New England. Throughout his career, Paul was a dedicated member of the Boston Area Guild of Puppetry.

Davis created over a dozen full-length puppetry productions and received four prestigious UNIMA Citations of Excellence for his work. He was honored with the President's Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Puppeteers of America. Now retired from performing, Davis remains active as a teacher and mentor in the New England puppetry community. He is the subject of the bookPuppeteer by Kathryn Lasky and is currently writing his own book about the art and philosophy of glove puppetry.

About the performer: Brad Shur is a versatile puppeteer who has created and performed characters made of everything from pixels to papier mache. As the Artist in Residence at Puppet Showplace Theatre he performs regularly and teaches puppetry classes to students of all ages, Pre-K to adult.

Brad with a character from "Clown Circus"

Shur’s original works include "The Carrot Salesman," "Dr. Doohickey and the Monster Machine," "The Yankee Peddler: Stories and Songs from Old New England" and "The Magic Soup and Other Stories," recently featured at the Puppeteers of America National Festival 2013.

Brad with a character from "Clown Circus"

Shur is currently working on a new adaptation of "Robin Hood," set to open in January 2014. Prior to becoming the Artist in Residence at Puppet Showplace, Shur toured the country as a performer with Big Nazo (Rhode Island), Wood & Strings Theatre (Tennessee) and The PuppeTree (Vermont). As a builder Shur has designed and fabricated puppets for American Idol, Dollywood, Avenue Q, and the U.S.S. Constitution Museum. Shur is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design.

For more shows by Brad Shur, CLICK HERE

The Circus comes to BROOKLINE!

CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
Nov 7-24: VIEW FULL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Swing on the trapeze and dance down the high-wire at Puppet Showplace this November! This week, we unfurl our first “Circus Spectacular” series with four circus-themed puppet shows for audiences of all ages, and new puppetry classes/workshops for adults and teens.

UP NEXT: TICK-MARIONETTES!

"The Fairy Circus" by Tanglewood Marionettes

VETERAN'S DAY WEEKEND!
Thurs & Fri, Nov 7 & 8 at 10:30 am
Saturday & Sunday, Nov 9 & 10 at 1 pm & 3pm
Mon, Nov 11 at 10:30 am & 1pm

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About the show: Tanglewood Marionettes invites you to be a spectator at this dazzling display of circus acts performed in an enchanted garden. "The Fairy Circus" is a showcase for turn-of-the-century style trick puppetry, performed by over 20 beautifully handcrafted marionettes. Fairies, field mice, and other small critters dance, play instruments, juggle, contort, transform, and fly through the air with the greatest of ease, all to the music of favorite classical composers. Each performance includes an interactive puppetry demonstration before and after the show!

About the artist: Founded in 1993 by Peter and Anne Schaefer, Tanglewood Marionettes is a nationally touring marionette company whose unique productions have been seen by hundreds of thousands of children and families across the country. With seven shows currently in their repertoire, the company performs year-round at venues ranging from school assemblies to renowned cultural institutions.

Peter and Anne Schaefer, Tanglewood Marionettes

Performer Peter Schaefer was born into a Boston-area family of puppeteers and has visited Puppet Showplace since he was a child. After apprenticing with the Bennington Puppets, Peter launched his own company, “Mountain Marionettes,” before joining with Anne Schaefer and fellow Bennington puppeteer Stephen Hancock to form Tanglewood Marionettes.

The company has received two UNIMA awards, puppetry's highest honor, for their productions An Arabian Adventure and The Dragon King. 

Tanglewood Marionettes believes above all that a performance is a communal experience, with connections established not only with the performers, but also between members of the audience themselves as they laugh together, gasp together, and cheer together when the good guys prevail! More info: www.tanglewoodmarionettes.com

Take your shadow puppets to the next level!

ADULT CLASSES AT PUPPET SHOWPLACE

As the center for puppetry arts in New England, Puppet Showplace attracts puppet enthusiasts interested in diving deeper into the exciting world of puppetry.  Our teaching artists are all working puppeteers excited to share their craft with a new generation of puppeteers. Puppet Showplace artist in residence, Brad Shur teaches a variety of hands-on classes where students try their skills at making puppets come to life.

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Students creating original shadow puppet characters at Puppet Showplace

Next on the fall class calendar is "Shadow Puppetry Production Lab" where students learn exciting building techniques and methods to create their own completed shadow puppet show from beginning to end.

Shadow Puppetry Production Lab

Instructor: Brad Shur, Artist in Residence
Six sessions, November 4 - December 9
Mondays, 6:30 to 9:00 pm
Cost: $200 + $20 materials fee
Members save 10% on registration!

REGISTER ONLINE 

About the workshop:  Learn to build and perform a complete shadow puppet show in this rigorous and supportive class. Participants will explore advanced mechanisms and building techniques using hinges, rivets, springs and slides crafted from durable materials to create professional quality shadow puppets. Then participants will focus on performance skills and visual storytelling to create an original short piece. 

This is an advanced-level class: "Introduction to Shadow Puppetry" or equivalent experience is recommended. Participants will be expected to work on projects outside of class time.

About the artist: Brad Shur is the Artist in Residence at Puppet Showplace. In addition to performing regularly in Brookline for audiences of all ages, Shur also presents shows on tour throughout the New England region, bringing puppetry to hundreds of schools, libraries, camps, and community centers each year. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, Shur toured the country as a performer with Big Nazo (Rhode Island), Wood & Strings Theatre (Tennessee) and The PuppeTree (Vermont). As a builder, Shur has designed and fabricated puppets for American Idol, Dollywood, The USS Constitution Museum, and theaters from Austin to Boston. 

Brad teaching "Introduction to Shadow Puppetry" at Puppet Showplace

In addition to his active performance schedule, Shur is a sought-after teaching artist. At Puppet Showplace he has designed and taught classes for after school programs, summer camps, and numerous classes for adults. His courses include “Introduction to Puppetry Arts,” “Shadow Puppetry Production Lab,” “Glove Puppetry Boot Camp,” and “Puppet Building 101.” Shur has also conducted extended puppetry residencies and teacher trainings for students of all ages at the Cambridge Ellis School, the Gifford School, Thompson Elementary School, the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and Boston College.