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.

BUY SHOW TICKETS!

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.

BUY TICKETS!