Puppet Happenings: Live Puppet Theater In-Person & Online
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PUPPET HAPPENINGS - TOP PICKS |
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Akutagawa *
Tom Lee and Koryu Nishikawa V
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February 23-25
Thursday - 7:30pm followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception
Friday - 7:30pm followed by an artist Q&A
Saturday - 7:30pm
AKUTAGAWA is a stage portrait of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, father of the modern Japanese short novel and author of In a Grove, the basis of Akira Kurosawa’s landmark 1950 film Rashomon. Told through the traditional puppetry style kuruma ningyo blended with dynamic video images, AKUTAGAWA is an amalgam of five of his famous short stories—including Rashomon, Hell Screen (Jigokuhen), The Dragon, Toshishun and Kappa. The show explores the author’s artistic insight and fragile emotional state. This production is made through an international collaboration between puppeteers Koryu Nishikawa V (Tokyo) and Tom Lee (Chicago), with live music by Yukio Tsuji (New York). Kuruma Ningyo Puppetry Masterclass on February 24 from 11am-1pm
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Presenter's Grant (2023) and Production Grant (2021)
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Magic Pearl * - FAMILY
Pinwheel
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February 12-20
Sunday February 12 - 10:30am & 1:00pm
Saturday February 18 - 3:00pm
Sunday February 19 - 10:30am & 1:00pm
Monday February 20 - 10:30am & 1:00pm
Originally at odds with one another, the protagonists Phoenix and Dragon become unlikely friends as they work together to transform a pebble from the bottom of the river into a magical pearl. This is a story about working hard to create something, losing it, and ultimately learning that the connection formed in the process is more important than the ephemeral object. All ages welcome, recommended 5+
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant (2022)
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Tesla vs. Edison *
Jason Hines
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February 22 - March 12
Wednesday-Saturday - 8:00pm
Sunday - 5:00pm
A new production based on the life and work of two men with very different visions of the future. Genius inventors Nikolas Tesla and Thomas Alva Edison were often directly at odds with each other, but despite the apparent incompatibility of their dreams we are living in the future that they both envisioned and created.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Workshop Grant (2021) and Special Funding Grant (2020)
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Ajijaak on Turtle Island
IBEX Puppetry
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February 28
7:00pm
Ajijaak on Turtle Island bears witness to the birth and first year of flight of a whooping crane in North America. Separated from her family, young whooping crane Ajijaak undertakes her first migration from Canada to coastal Texas, witnessing environmental destruction, and learning from the contemporary indigenous communities she encounters along the way. On this journey she must find her voice, restore balance, and put the great water panther Mishibizhiw back to sleep. Bringing together an ensemble of Native American performers with puppets from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, indigenous songs and dances, and video projections Ajijaak on Turtle Island is a transformative experience that honors contemporary Native American cultures and illustrates harmonious relationships between humans, animals, and the environment.
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The Immortal Jellyfish Girl *
Wakka Wakka Productions
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January 10-February 19
EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 19th
NY TIMES CRITICS PICK
see website for all dates and times
Part coming-of-age story and part dystopian tragedy, THE IMMORTAL JELLYFISH GIRL soars through dimensions, unconfined by time, gravity, or biology. The year is 2555: large swaths of the earth’s surface are considered dead zones and global extinction has begun. Yet in this age of loneliness and destruction there is still hope… Hilarious, ridiculous, and virtuosic, THE IMMORTAL JELLYFISH GIRL takes its audience on a wild journey through a post-apocalyptic future.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Presenter's Grant (2023) and Workshop Grant (2020)
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Wolf Play *
Soho Rep in collaboration with Ma-Yi Theater Company
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January 26 - March 19
EXTENDED TO MARCH 19th
see website for all dates and times
When an off-the-record adoption goes awry, Jeenu’s new parents learn just how far a wolf will go to defend its pack. Hansol Jung‘s WOLF PLAY is directed by Dustin Wills with exuberant imagination as MCC brings the critically acclaimed sold-out Soho Rep production back to the stage.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Presenter's Grant (2020)
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Audience by Václav Havel
Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre
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February 2-19
Thur-Sat at 7:00 PM
Sun at 2:00 PM
* Use code GO5 for $5 off tickets! *
La MaMa presents the world premiere of Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre's puppet version of "Audience" by Václav Havel, translated and directed by Vít Horejš. This dark comedy of spying in a brewery is staged with live actors, giant puppets and live projected closeups of smaller puppets from security cameras in order to suggest surveillance. Vít Horejš and Theresa Linnihan act the play together. Havel’s classic autobiographical play follows Ferdinand Vanek, a distinguished playwright forced to perform manual labor in a brewery because his writings have been banned by the Communist regime. He is repeatedly called into the bleak office of his boss, the brewmaster, who regales him with irksome, circular monologues, washing them down with endless rounds of beer. The writer must endure a delicate game of cat and mouse -- pointless chat, clumsy interrogation and flattery -- with implied threats of dire consequences such as the loss of even his menial job or imprisonment. The play reflects on the time when Havel actually had to work in a brewery as penance for writing critically of the Czechoslovak communist government. He ultimately went from prison to the castle, becoming president of Czechoslovakia.
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Puppet Slam 2023
Curated by Jane Catherine Shaw
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February 16-19
Thursday-Saturday - 8:00pm
Sunday - 4:00pm
La MaMa Puppet Slam returns this year with new short works of genius! These condensed works of puppetry are original, compelling, brilliant, witty, tragic, funny, stunning, startling, ironic, exotic, political, lyrical, musical, beautiful, intellectual, experimental, wild...and always demonstrate genius in a matter of minutes!
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Learning How to Read by Moonlight
Written by Gaven Trinidad, co-directed by Mauricio Tafur and Maria Camia
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February 10-25
February 10-11 - 7:00pm
February 16-18 - 7:00pm
February 22-25 - 7:00pm
* Use the code HNSNFND for 10% off tickets *
UNDER THE MOONLIGHT... six-year-old Eddie imagines a dragon eating moons and an imaginary friend teaching him English. His mother smokes as she prays to a statue of the Santo Niño. His father waits alone in Manila for their daily phone calls. Songs from a mythical giant turtle travel across oceans, but are drowned by the voices of Duterte and Trump on the television. As fantasy and reality become indistinguishable, the family is forced to learn how to articulate unspoken truths that will either break them or heal them. How will the weight of living undocumented in New York City force them to reevaluate their understanding of “community", “dreams”, and "home"? Leviathan Lab, a creative studio for Asian American Pacific Islander theatre artists, will present a nine-show, work-in-progress production run of this new work.
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The Colors of Frida / Los Colores de Frida - FAMILY
Teatro SEA
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February 11 - March 4
Saturdays at 3:00pm
A bilingual, one-woman show about the great Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, which combines storytelling, music, visual arts, puppets and audience participation.
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More Mother Goose Tales - FAMILY
Penny Jones & Co. Puppets
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February 19 & 26
2:00pm
MORE Mother Goose Tales - Classic Tales and Fables. Lots of fun for the very young. The Three Little Pigs, and more. This is interactive puppet theater in an intimate space for young children. With lots of participation, fun and games, and Mother Goose Rhymes. A hit for generations. With Jack, the Pied Piper and Mother Goose's silly dog Toby. - And make a puppet to take home after the show! "Charming" - The New York Times, “Very simple, and perfect as an introduction to theatre.” -New York, “Warm, funny, direct and charming.” -Gannet
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Duke Ellington's Cat * - FAMILY
Written and Directed by Jon Ludwig
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February 1 - March 12
Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 10:00 AM and 11:45 AM
Saturdays: 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM
Sundays: 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM
On the road with jazz great Duke Ellington is one cool cat. From the early days in the pool halls to the concert halls performing before crowned heads, this feisty feline has been at Duke’s side, sometimes even sitting in with the band. But not everything is in rhythm. One day when Duke is scheduled to play a suite in honor of the Queen of England, the score has been stolen! Will the cat find the music and get it to the Duke in time? This lyrical look at the life and times of one of America’s musical giants gets right in the middle of a career that spanned from the Roaring Twenties through the Civil Rights Movement.
* Special Funding (2020)
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The Baffo Box Show: A Compact Cardboard Comedy * - FAMILY
Modern Times Theater
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February 25
11:00am
Performed in a one-of-a-kind suit-stage, this show packs classic hand puppetry, Dadaist ventriloquism, and stand-up comedy into a cardboard box and delivers it, with impeccable timing, live on stage. From the moment the lid opens, audiences are captivated as the Baffos juggle and dance their way through the day’s chores, despite the undeniable evidence that their world is changing. Puppeteered by Justin Lander and directed by Rose Friedman, the show runs 45 min and is recommended for all ages. Junk Music and Sound Experimentation Workshop following the second performance.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant (2022)
ADDITIONAL DATES
- York Street Meeting House, Lyndonville, VT - March 25
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Frankenstein *
Manual Cinema
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February 17
7:30pm
Love, loss, and creation merge in unexpected ways when Manual Cinema presents its thrilling version of the classic Gothic tale, “Frankenstein.” This Chicago-based performance collective imaginatively combines shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, sound effects, and live music in haunting shows like nothing else you’ve ever seen. With Frankenstein, Manual Cinema stitches together the original gothic novel with the biography of its author, Mary Shelley, creating an unexpected story magically created right before your eyes.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Workshop Grant (2018)
ADDITIONAL DATES
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Squirrel Stole My Underpants * - FAMILY
The Gottabees
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February 18
5:00pm
A lonely, awkward girl is sent out to the backyard to hang up the laundry and keep herself busy. The moment Sylvie’s back is turned, a mischievous squirrel appears, steals her favorite piece of clothing, and runs off. When the girl gives chase, she finds herself lost in strange lands. As the story unfolds, an entire world emerges from her laundry basket and Sylvie learns that she is a strong girl with magic within herself.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant (2013)
ADDITIONAL DATES
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My Night at the Planetarium * - FAMILY
Little Uprisings
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February 18
11:00am & 2:00pm
Best-selling children's book author Innosanto Nagara's true story of art and social protest comes to life as a dynamic pop-up puppet show. Created and performed by fellow artist/activist Tanya Nixon-Silberg, the show transports audiences to Jakarta in the 1970s, where 7-year-old Inno learns firsthand how a play has the power to spark a resistance movement. Featuring designs by Sarah Nolen, the story is brought to life with a rich soundscape, visual transformations, and kid-centered lessons about social justice. The show runs 45 min and is recommended for all ages 5 and up.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant (2019)
ADDITIONAL DATES
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Pinocchio *
The Object Group and Sky Creature Productions
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March 1-12
8pm Monday-Saturday
6pm Sunday
A rambunctious tale, newly resonant for a naughty society! Audiences will embark on an immersive live experience through an unexpected world full of magic, treachery and desire. Incorporating all five senses, we invite you to journey with Pinocchio as he discovers the roots of his identity This production of Pinocchio has been in the works for over three years. The first chapters of the tale were manifested in a film by Haverty and Khalid, released virtually in December 2021, which will be provided to ticket holders before the live performance. The immersive live experience picks up where the film left off, with Pinocchio venturing away from home, into a curious and chaotic world.
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* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Production Grant (2022)
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Puppet Up!
Brian Henson presents
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February 17-20
Friday - 8:00pm
Saturday - 5:00pm & 9:00pm
Sunday - 3:00pm & 7:00pm
Monday - 7:00pm
Puppet Up! - Uncensored is a night of outrageous, off-the-cuff comedy...featuring 80 of the Miskreant puppets brought to life by a cast of world-class comedian puppeteers from The Jim Henson Company. Created by legendary puppeteer and award-winning director Brian Henson and directed by Patrick Bristow (Ellen, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Puppet Up! - Uncensored is never the same show twice. Based on suggestions from the audience, Patrick and his team of expert puppeteers create a hilarious two-shows-in-one: the improvised puppet action projected live on screens above the stage, with the puppeteers racing around below in full view of the audience. The show also features recreations of classic pieces originally created by Jim and Jane Henson, and Frank Oz that haven’t been seen by live audiences in decades. This is no ordinary puppet show.
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WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PRESENTATIONS, FILMS, SPECIAL EVENTS |
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Kuruma Ningyo Puppetry Masterclass - In-Person *
led by Koryu Nishikawa V
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February 24
11:00am-1:00pm
Learn about the unique mechanics of kuruma ningyo in this special workshop for professional puppeteers led by Koryu Nishikawa V. This master class will cover the basics of Japanese traditional puppetry, including the three-person manipulation method found in bunraku. Part of the workshop will be spent mastering select, short scenes from Nishikawa’s repertoire.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Presenter's Grant (2023)
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The Dark Crystal - Movie Screening - In-Person
Jim Henson's World, Museum of the Moving Image
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February 17
3:00pm
Dirs. Jim Henson, Frank Oz. 1982, 93 mins. DCP. With Kathy Mullen, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire. On a remote planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, to restore order to his world. Using a mix of puppetry, animatronics, modern special effects, and more, Jim Henson’s marvelous The Dark Crystal creates a sense of visual astonishment rarely equaled in fantasy filmmaking. Recommended for ages 8+
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Split Personality: Sharing the Stage with your Puppet - In-Person
The Gottabees, Bonnie Duncan
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February 19
11:00am
Join Bonnie Duncan of The Gottabees for this FREE workshop as she guides you through the process of how she creates and refines her brand of non-verbal physical theater. Using physical theater games and partner exercises, you’ll explore how to divide your inner attention between performer and puppeteer and how to generate new material for stage without words. Participants will create and share movement, moments, scenes, and stories of their own using The Gottabees’ approaches.
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A Lil' Talk on Lighting for Puppetry with Leila Ghaznavi and Zach Moore in Conversation - ONLINE
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February 21
8:00pm EST
Recording will be made available to ticket holders
Puppet Artist, Leila Ghaznavi, and Lighting Designer, Zach Moore, discuss lighting for puppetry. Join us for this intriguing and useful conversation. Event takes place via Zoom and a recording will be made within 7 days of the event.
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Puppetry, Ritual, and Performance in Turkey, Puppet Forum - In-Person & ONLINE
John Bell
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February 22
7:00pm EST
Recording will be made available to ticket holders
In a conversation with Puppet Arts Interim Technical Supervisor Matthew Sorensen, Dr. Bell will discuss his work on Demons of Society, an outdoor Bread and Puppet Theater pageant production, as well as his two Biennial exhibitions—Annals of Object Performance: Puppetry, Street Performance, and Activism, and Peter Schumann’s Bedsheet Paintings; and his work with theater and arts organizations in Diyarbakir, Kurdistan. Dr. Bell’s talk will touch on the history of Turkey as a center of puppet and object performance from the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires to the present, and the ongoing challenges Turkish artists and performers face living and working within an authoritarian society.
Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. Forums will be broadcast via Ballard Institute Facebook Live. For more information or if you require accommodation to attend a forum, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.
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Giant Lantern Puppets - ONLINE
Andrew Kim, Full Moon Puppet Show Workshop
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February 25 & March 4
10:30am-12:00pm CST
Recording will be made available to ticket holders
Artist Andrew Kim will show examples of his giant lantern puppets and share materials, and demonstrate building and lighting techniques.
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Schroeder Cherry & Jean Marie Keevins in Conversation - ONLINE
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February 28
8:00pm EST
Recording will be made available to ticket holders
Baltimore-based, Washington, D.C.-born, Puppet and Visual Artist Schroeder Cherry is wildly prolific. In this interview, fellow puppet artist Jean Marie Keevins, gets curious about Cherry’s process and influences which she has grown to be a fan of.
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MUSEUM & GALLERY EXHIBITS |
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Crafting Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro
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December 11, 2022 - April 15, 2023
Sun–Fri, 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Sat, 10:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
The Museum of Modern Art presents Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio, an exhibition devoted to the craft and process behind the celebrated filmmaker’s first stop-motion animation film. On view in the second-floor Paul J. Sachs Galleries and in the Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center, the exhibition will provide visitors with a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process to realize del Toro’s latest film, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022). Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio will invite visitors to explore the collaborative craft of stop-motion animation filmmaking, from look development to the years-long production process, through a presentation of five full working sets and four large set pieces, alongside puppets and marionettes, maquettes, sculptural molds, drawings, development materials, time-lapse and motion-test videos, digital color tests, archival photography, and props from the film. In addition to the gallery presentations, MoMA will screen Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio on select days between December 3 and 11, along with a theatrical run from December 26 through January 4; present a complete retrospective film series called Guillermo del Toro: Tales of Mourning and Imagination, from January 4 through 29; and host a Carte Blanche film series, curated by the director, in March 2023, all in the Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters.
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Accepting Letters of Intent for Artist Grants
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Letters of Intent Due:
March 6, 2023
The Jim Henson Foundation is currently accepting letters of intent for Artist Grants for the 2024 Granting Cycle. Artists can apply for Production Grants ($7,000) or Family Grants ($4,000) for work that will be premiering in 2024 or Workshop Grants ($3,000) for projects that will be workshopped in 2024.
Visit the Artist Grants page at HensonFoundation.org for more information, guidelines and deadlines. |
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PUPPET HAPPENINGS - COMPLETE LISTINGS |
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The Jim Henson Foundation's Puppet Happenings Listings are updated every Friday.
Puppet Happenings Submission Form:
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