Onwards to the Future!

Thanks to the generous support of over 1000 individuals, families, and organizations from around the world, we surpassed our 2020 year-end fundraising goal and saved Puppet Showplace Theater for future generations. Thank you!

We have started off the year filled with renewed hope for the future. Your invaluable support has allowed us to continue our mission of bringing outstanding professional puppetry to audiences in Greater Boston and beyond.

Thanks to your generosity, we are rebuilding. This winter, our resident artists are bringing virtual shows to schools and groups. A new cohort of puppeteers is meeting virtually and developing new work through our Black Puppeteer Empowerment Grant and Creative Research Residency. Plans for virtual family shows, live-streamed puppet slams, adult classes, and youth vacation programs are in the works. Once the warm weather arrives, we will offer outdoor touring shows and relaunch our outdoor performance series so that families can enjoy live performing arts safely.

Even as we faced significant challenges, 2020 was filled with many inspiring moments. What do YOU hope to see in 2021? We welcome you to stay involved, to get in touch with suggestions, and help us chart a course to the future as we head towards recovery.

With Gratitude,
The Puppet Showplace Staff, Artists, and Board of Trustees

Help us set sail for the future! Bonnie Duncan performs a scene from The Gottabees’ "Squirrel Stole My Underpants.” Photo Credit: Liz Linder

A Letter from The President

Gift-wrapping with my daughter Celia in 2017.

Dear Friends of Puppet Showplace,

I write to you at a time when the arts are more vital than ever, at a time when we understand deeply the need for imaginative expression to lift our spirits. Puppet Showplace Theater has brought the joys of puppetry to audiences of all ages since its founding by puppeteer Mary Churchill in 1974. Its history is one of delight, of creativity, of keeping alive traditions of puppetry while supporting the creation of new productions and bringing new artists to our stage. Puppet Showplace is a treasured cultural institution, a destination in Brookline Village that serves as a home to puppeteers from throughout the Northeast and beyond. 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have not offered live puppetry inside our theater since March. Determined to continue to offer outstanding professional puppetry in whatever way we safely can, during the summer we mounted puppet shows online in interactive formats and featured live puppetry outdoors in socially-distanced performance spaces. For adults and teens, we live-streamed puppet slams, with performers joining us from across the nation and abroad, drawing a national audience to view an impressive line-up of imaginative, sometimes quirky, often moving performances. We supported a new creative initiative for Black puppeteers, bringing their powerful work to a virtual audience.

As most of you know, we suffered a second and near-fatal blow in October: a theft that depleted our bank account and left us in debt. The Board of Trustees responded by immediately taking control of our systems to assure their security. But most important, our community responded. You joined our effort to save Puppet Showplace, and your response has been magnificent: 970 donors to date have stood with us and helped make possible a future for this beloved theater. We have raised sufficient funds to assure that we will be able to pay the rent and retain basic staff in the coming months. Now we seek your continued support so that we can begin to re-envision and recreate that world of whimsy and magic that we all know. 

This winter we hope to offer live-streamed performances while children remain safe at home, and bring virtual puppetry classes to schools and adults. When spring arrives, it should be possible to mount puppet shows in parks and other outdoor spaces. In a post-pandemic world, we look forward to again inviting audiences of all ages back to live performances at 32 Station Street. It is your continued support that will make this possible. Please join us!

With immense gratitude,

Margueritte Murphy

President

Puppet Showplace Board of Trustees

Help us Save Puppet Showplace Theater!

Dear Friends of Puppet Showplace Theater:

In times of trouble, we look to our friends. In the past week, all of us at Puppet Showplace – staff, artists, and Board members – have been greatly moved by your messages of support and concern. Today, we write to tell you that Puppet Showplace needs your help.

We are addressing the theft from our bank account head-on and are working hard to move forward. There is an ongoing police investigation and we continue to work with legal counsel to attempt to recover the funds that were stolen from the organization. We also implemented additional safeguards to our fiscal systems and met with our lawyers and bank officials to ensure that our accounts are safe and secure - they are. 

Now, we are embarking on a fundraising campaign to save Puppet Showplace Theater.  

You have the power to help Puppet Showplace survive.

After careful examination of our current financial circumstances and our ongoing expenses (reduced staff, rent, utilities, and insurance), we need to raise at least $50,000 now to sustain our limited operations through the end of the year. Thanks to the generosity of you, our loyal and caring community, we are already nearly 50% of the way toward achieving this goal! 

Audience at August 2019 preview of “My Night in the Planetarium”. Photo Credit: Tess Scheflan

Here’s how you can help:

• Make a donation at www.puppetshowplace.org/emergency-fund.

• Share this campaign with your social networks, and engage with our social networks to learn about our progress.

• Let us know about any corporate giving initiatives in your business or community.

Thank you so very much for your continued support of Puppet Showplace Theater, a place where artists and audiences have come together to celebrate the joys of puppetry and live performance for 46 years. 

With your help and generosity, we will be able to keep the theater moving forward.  

Sincerely,

The Puppet Showplace Theater Team
and Board of Trustees: 

Margueritte Murphy, President
Edward Zlotkowski, Vice President
Alison Plante, Clerk
Jodi Ekelchik, Treasurer
Lance Eaton

John Lechner
Anthony Leva
Sarah Pisacich
Matt Walczak
Amy West

Puppet Showplace Theater, 1982.

Puppet Showplace Theater, Spring 2020.

An Important Update from Puppet Showplace Theater

Dear Friends of Puppet Showplace Theater:

Puppet Showplace Theater has been devoted to developing innovative puppetry productions to the delight of thousands of children and their families for 46 years. This creative work would not have been possible without your support, for which we are so grateful.

We write to bring your attention to a serious situation that has developed within our organization. On October 7, the Board of Trustees of Puppet Showplace was informed of fiscal irregularities in its bank account. We soon learned that our fiscal controls had been circumvented and that Puppet Showplace’s bank account had been fully depleted. We quickly reported this matter to the Brookline Police Department for investigation, which is ongoing. We are working with legal counsel to understand the full impact on the organization and our options for attempting to recover the funds that were stolen from the organization.

Based on these developments, the Board terminated the employment of the Managing Director.

We and our fellow trustees are working with the organization’s Artistic Director and dedicated staff and resident artists to evaluate what this incident means for our future programming. As we manage this crisis, we will review all of our fiscal operations and expect to institute additional policies and procedures to ensure we are adhering to best practices.

We are grateful for the professionalism and dedication of the employees and artists who have banded together through the pandemic to provide virtual programming during this pause in in-person performances. While this is a devastating and heartbreaking experience, we are hopeful that with the support of our loyal and caring community, our donors and grantors, we will be able to keep the theater moving ahead.

Thank you for your continued support of Puppet Showplace Theater.

Sincerely,

Puppet Showplace Theater Board of Trustees

Margueritte Murphy, President
Edward Zlotkowski, Vice President
Alison Plante, Clerk
Jodi Ekelchik, Treasurer

Look Up! The Gottabees, Reading Rainbow, and Real-Life Hot Air Balloon Adventures

Reading Rainbow’s LeVar Burton visits a Balloon Rally hosted by puppeteer Bonnie Duncan’s family in 1984.

If you’ve ever seen a Gottabees show or any work that puppeteer Bonnie Duncan has made solo, there is often a balloon involved --- whether the balloon helps a character escape, transports them to magical lands, or is a merely a form of transportation. 

For Bonnie, balloons are magical, beautiful, and mysterious. They were also an important part of her childhood.

Read on to learn more about her real-life hot air balloon adventures, and sign up for ScreenPLAY! Episode 4, Look Up: A Hot Air Balloon Adventure on August 26-29 to join Bonnie and the Gottabees on an imaginary flight into the clouds. Learn More / Reserve Tickets.

Bonnie and her balloons…

Bonnie with her grandparents and cousins in the 1980s, awaiting a hot air balloon flight.

Q: Bonnie, what’s your connection to hot air ballooning?

When I was four years old, my family started hot air ballooning.  This became our family’s hobby for 15+ years --- my grandparents, my parents, and my aunt and uncle all had balloons.  Most weekends, we would pack up the van and head to a balloon rally in a neighboring state or fly with other ballooning friends at dawn and then again at dusk.”  

Q: What do you remember from the experience of flying with your family?

Balloon or Baby Dragon? Find out at ScreenPLAY August 26-29!

You cannot control exactly where a balloon goes or lands. Radio communication was limited at the time (there was no GPS readily available), and the chase crew depended on maps, a good sense of direction, and continual attempts at keeping sight of the 7-story high balloon flying overhead in order to meet the balloon when it landed. 

The landowners of wherever we landed were always amazed and overwhelmingly wonderful. For them, a colorful gentle giant that sounded like a dragon had just floated down from the sky and landed in their yard or field at 8:00 am on a Saturday.  

Each flight was a new adventure, filled with characters and experiences that we still recount to this day as a family.  

Q: Do you have any other fun stories to share?

One story that I so love sharing with my own children is that Reading Rainbow was filmed during a balloon rally that my father organized.  LeVar Burton flew in our balloon and was part of our weekend.  I was eight at the time and this was really special because I was a BIG FAN of the show.  But don’t just take my word for it…

The closing credits to Season 2, Episode 1 feature a beautiful sequence that gives you a sense of what it’s like to be in a balloon. You can see all of my family’s and friends’ balloons!! 

Bonnie’s family’s hot air balloons fly during the closing credits for Reading Rainbow (1984).

By the way, not all of this week’s ScreenPLAY! story will be true.

There might be a long-horned cow.... 
There might be a baby dragon...

There might even be a...
JOIN US TO FIND OUT!

Learn More about Bonnie Duncan and The Gottabees at
www.thegottabees.com 

Bonnie with her family around a hot air balloon basket (Bonnie is in the middle wearing a white shirt!)

Take Action: Puppeteers Stand for Justice

Puppetry can be a life-giving source of joy and inspiration. It can also be a powerful force for confronting ugly truths about the world. As puppeteers, we recognize the truth and injustice of racism, and we stand in solidarity with all those who work to dismantle racist systems, practices, and institutions.

Racism manifests itself every day in our work as a cultural organization. We see it in the demographics of our audiences—in the persistent racial segregation of Boston-area schools, the unequal allocation of resources, and the coded assumptions about who belongs in what spaces. We see it burdening artists of color who face prejudice, tokenization, and the emotional labor of code-switching in predominantly white spaces. This all exists against a backdrop of violent and traumatizing news, history, lived reality, and the persistent injustice of present day events.

Thankfully, we also see racism bravely grappled with on stage. In the hands of Black and Brown artists and allies, racism’s shape-shifting nature becomes apparent. We see its power, but also see its vulnerabilities. We experience empathy, we take action, and we feel hope.

Puppet Showplace Theater is an anti-racist institution. We strive to be a safe and welcoming space for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. We see this as our duty, our sacred obligation as a cultural non-profit that receives public funding and asks for public trust. We expect to be held accountable for our actions to the public we serve. We ask that the same accountability be applied to all public servants, from elected officials to police officers, from teachers to fire fighters. We stand in solidarity with all who protest injustice and speak truth. We call on artists and cultural organizations everywhere to set our hands, heads, and hearts to work behind this cause.

Resources to Learn and Take Action

CNN/Sesame Street Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism Town Hall for Kids and Families
Social Justice Books All-Ages Curated Multicultural and Social Justice Book List
Books for Littles Anti-Racism for Kids 101
Working Document for Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources
Brookline Tab Hundreds March against Racial Injustice in Brookline Village Protest
Brookline Select Board Member Raul Fernandez A Challenge to My Overwhelmingly White, Relatively Wealthy, and Allegedly Progressive Community
Statement from Brookline Police Chief Andy Lipson
Campaign Zero Movement to End Police Violence
Boston Globe Boston. Racism. Image. Reality.
National Movement Site for Black Lives Matter
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater (MN) Justice for George Floyd

Images:
Artistic Director Roxanna Myhrum, Davron Monroe, and Kaitee Tredway in “O, King” (2015).
Tarish Jeghetto Pipkins directing “Just Another Lynching” (2018).
Tanya Nixon-Silberg, Wee The People’s “My Night in the Planetarium” (2020).
Student Rory L.W. in Shadow Puppet Production Lab (2017).
Students Magalie N. and Whitney D. in Introduction to Puppetry Performance (2019).

Announcing: Puppet Showplace Pen Pals!

Bonnie Duncan and Tim Gallagher in a scene from "Poste Restante,” a letter-and-parcel-inspired object theater and dance piece by They Gotta Be Secret Agents.

Dear Puppet Fans,

We miss you! Luckily, there’s a great way for us to stay in touch while we are all still staying apart.

Introducing, the Puppet Showplace Pen Pals program! How does it work? Write a letter or make a card for anyone in the Puppet Showplace family. Seal it in an envelope, add a stamp, put it in your nearest mailbox, and voila! Pretty soon, a letter from us will be delivered right to your door. Note: Letters sent from us will likely include stickers.

Answers to your questions are below!

Pen pal Myla created an amazing card, AND she made us a promo video. We are excited to write her back!

• Whom should I write to? You can write to anyone and everyone at Puppet Showplace Theater! That includes staff, resident artists, visiting puppeteers, or even favorite puppet characters. All of us can be reached at the same address.

• What should I write about? We welcome letters about anything! You could tell us about what you and your family have been doing at home, ask us a question, share a Puppet Showplace memory, or send an idea for a creative project.

• Where should I send my letter? Our mailing address is:

  Puppet Showplace Theater
  32 Station Street
  Brookline MA 02445

• What do I write on the envelope? Write our address in the center, on the side opposite the flap. Be sure to include your own address (the “return address”) in the upper left hand corner. Finally, put a stamp in the upper right hand corner. Here’s a great, kid-friendly tutorial!

Pen pals Zach and Roxie recently tried (unsuccessfully) to mail themselves to their grandparents. Families, we are here for you in your time of need!

• Do I need to write words? Not at all! Puppeteers love expressing things with pictures and interesting materials. We welcome drawings, collages, photos—anything that you can fit in an envelope. Grown-ups, if you want to send us clues on how to interpret something particularly abstract so that we can respond appropriately, please do.

• Do I have to write in English? Nope! Please use whatever language you prefer.

• Where do I get stamps? You can visit your local post office, or order stamps online!

• Is this just for kids? Not at all! Letters are for everyone. Puppet fans of all ages are welcome to write to us. Grown ups can use fancy terms like “epistolary correspondence” if they would prefer.

• When will I get a response? If you’re writing to us from Greater Boston, it usually takes 2-3 days for a letter to arrive. If you’re further away it might take a little longer. We’ll reply to letters as soon as they come in, so you should have a response by the following week.

• Will this help support the Post Office? Yes! We started thinking about this program when we learned that USPS was facing tough times during the pandemic. We wanted to celebrate the bravery and contributions of our mail carriers! Enjoy these Top Twelve Facts about USPS and find out more Ways that You Can Support the U.S. Postal Service.

Thank you postal workers! Resident Teaching Artist Honey Goodenough made and donated this mask to help keep our essential workers safe (and stylish).

• What will you do with the letters? We will save your letters and create a display for when we re-open. Eventually, we will add them to the Puppet Showplace Theater archive as treasured mementos from this time. For inspiration, we will also share pictures over email and social media.

• Can I just e-mail you instead? We are all getting a little bleary-eyed with so much screen time every day. There are many things that you just cannot express through a computer, and there is something uniquely special about getting a letter in the mail. That said, if you need a quick reply or have administrative questions, you can always E-mail Us and we’ll respond there too.

• What if I have never been to Puppet Showplace Theater? Can I still send you a letter? Yes! Let us know a little bit about you if we have never met. We hope you visit us one day!

• Can we mail ourselves to you? Unfortunately, this is no longer allowed by the post office (though we recently learned this wasn’t always the case). We definitely hope to see you in person one day soon, as soon as it is safe to do so!!

Thanks, pen pals! We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at Puppet Showplace Theater

P.S. Interested in supporting puppeteers during closure? Visit CONNECT: Puppeteers Online to discover digital content and contribute on our Take Action! Emergency Fund page. Thank you!

Unfortunately you can’t mail yourself to us (sorry Bonnie and Tim). We look forward to getting your letters, though! Also, thank you Tim for your hard work as a dancer-puppeteer-turned-doctor on the front lines of the pandemic in Brooklyn, NY. Your patients are lucky to have your support!

Meet Rachel von Ahn, Development Coordinator!

We’re excited to welcome Rachel to the Puppet Showplace team in the brand new position of Development Coordinator! Rachel will be helping us launch campaigns to support our 5-year vision and will work closely with our vibrant community of members, donors, and volunteers. Recently, we sat down to ask her a few questions about her background, interests, and inspirations.

Q: How did you come to work for a puppet theater?

A: I’m a project manager by day and improv comedian by night. As a performing artist myself, I’ve always been drawn to working in theater. Being a comedian, specifically, I’m also drawn to a fun atmosphere. After years of working for a large-scale healthcare technology company, I wanted to combine my administrative skills with my passion for the performing arts. When I saw the opening for this role, I knew I had to apply. I still can’t help but smile every time I walk into the building or talk about this organization - and for that, I’m very grateful. 

Q: What are your superpowers?

A: I’m going to say the power of “Yes, and!” I’ve found that the positive and productive “Yes, and!” philosophy used in improv comedy is useful in work and life as well as on the stage. I’ve honed this superpower performing improv for about 11 years (7 years professionally in Boston). In my performances, I work with others to build a live show on the spot without a script. As improvisers, we have to be open and honest about what inspires us while supporting choices that come from anyone on the team. It’s also super fun. I’m looking forward to getting people excited to say “yes!” to the many great initiatives underway at Puppet Showplace, and to listening for ways that our team can support and build on initiatives that come from our community. And of course...I’m excited about leveling up in Sarah Nolen’s Puppet Improv class!

Q: Why do you care about funding for arts in Boston?

A: To me, it’s not just about providing entertainment, but about supporting the shared experience of seeing live theater. Art teaches us all so much--it creates connections and sparks conversations. We need to ensure we sustain that sort of creative education for our communities. Boston is full of talented artists and opportunities to experience art. It’s very important to me that we do everything we can to fund innovative productions and programs, not only for artists to thrive in their creative careers, but for people of all ages and backgrounds to be able to access all of the enriching art Boston has to offer. 

Q: What inspires you about PST?

A: Wow, where do I start? First, I was instantly drawn to the history behind this organization, starting with the beautiful, historic space that is 32 Station Street. There’s a special feeling when you walk through this building, knowing it houses 45 years’ worth of stories and memories. Mary Churchill founded this organization in 1974 and it remains a treasured part of this community because of generous support from individual donors, local businesses, and foundation and government grants. 

Then, there are the people. I love hearing stories of how folks first discovered Puppet Showplace and what keeps them coming back week after week, and year after year. Seeing the joy that Puppet Showplace brings our patrons and supporters of all ages - as well as our passionate and dedicated staff - motivates me day-to-day.

Finally, there’s the art of puppetry itself. I feel like most of us, when we think of puppets, can picture a handmade character we’ve encountered at some point in our lives. Learning the history behind this amazing art form, seeing the work that goes into a production, and witnessing puppetry’s impact on the audiences and the community is quite inspirational. Through puppetry, there are so many ways a story can be told, and so many ways to engage an audience!

I continue to be blown away by the performances, from the hilarious and unique pieces at the Puppet Showplace Slam, to the magnificent mainstage shows. I’m learning something new every day, and can’t wait to see what the future holds! 

Want to learn more about opportunities to support Puppet Showplace Theater, or have ideas for a future campaign? Contact Rachel at development@puppetshowplace.org. 

Rachel’s first day selfie with Elvis Frostley. Puppet created by Jon Little, Little’s Creatures.

Puppets Around the World!

Travel the world with a puppeteer as your guide! Our newest series kicks off February 27th with stories and puppetry styles from around the globe. Join us as we celebrate World Puppetry Day all month long!

“Puppets Around the World” runs through Sunday, March 29. For individual show descriptions and online ticket purchases visit our mainstage page. 

Puppets Around the World 2020 SCHEDULE
Thursday and Friday Weekday shows at 10:30 am
Saturday & Sunday at 1:00 & 3:00 pm.

• "Lisa the Wise" by Sarah Nolen, Resident Artist (Thurs 2/27-Sun 3/1).

• "The Monkey King" by Margaret Moody Puppets (Thurs 3/5-Sun 3/8).

• "Punschi: The Adventures of Kasper" by Jana Zeller , Sandglass Theater (Thurs 3/12-Sun 3/15).

• "Fox Fables " by The WonderSpark Puppets (Thurs 3/19-Sun 3/22).

• "Shadows Around the World" by Nappy’s Puppets (Thurs 3/26-Sun 3/29).

A Journey through the Archives

Hello everyone! It's Asa again, Puppet Showplace Theater's Winter 2020 Artistic Intern. As my internship at Puppet Showplace draws to a close, I thought I might share with you some of the work I have been doing here over the last six weeks.

A significant part of my internship has involved looking through Puppet Showplace's archival collection, mostly investigating materials related to the career of the theater's very first resident puppeteer, Paul Vincent Davis. However, in the process of scanning over boxes of files and digging through trunks of puppets, I came across several strange and wonderful artifacts from Puppet Showplace's past!

BREAKTHROUGH BASH

"Puppet party was smashing success" by P.T. Bates - Brookline Chronicle Citizen, May 14, 1981. Douglas Ecker is pictured "breaking through" the brick wall that separated the lobby from the theater.

In 1981, Puppet Showplace shifted from 31 to 32 Station Street, and a building renovation allowed for higher audience capacity and better facilities. This article, printed in a 1981 issue of the Brookline Chronicle Citizen, reports on the opening party held to celebrate the expansion. It says that before the expansion, the space that is now exclusively the lobby had to be completely reconfigured into a performance space any time a show was being held. In addition, the stage at the time was tiny—only 9 feet by 12 feet! With the addition of the new theater space, the lobby was able to house a permanent office area, display shelves, and its signature puppet store. The new theater could accommodate a larger stage and more seating. It completely transformed the theater experience, allowing the audience to congregate in the lobby, whereas before, there would have been nowhere to go but outside! Now, as the Puppet Showplace staff and board look ahead to the theater’s 50th anniversary and plan for future renovations, it’s exciting to look back and see all of the transformations that have taken place to make Station Street a welcoming space for artists and audiences alike.

AN INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY

Non-Party Invitation - Puppet Showplace Theater, June 2, 1993

One of the key elements of Puppet Showplace's culture is the attention given to cultivating community within the puppetry world. In this humorous mailing from 1993, Puppet Showplace invites audiences to celebrate their 19th anniversary with a "Non-Party"—that is to say, a generous donation from you to the theater sent from the comfort of your own home, completely free from the inconveniences of having to get dressed up, battle traffic, and eat party food. 

This hilarious, personable approach to fundraising reveals a sensibility that I viewed in several other materials as well. In addition to looking through file boxes, I began my archival investigations by looking through old issues of the Boston Area Guild of Puppetry's publication, Control Stick. These publications depict guild meetings at Puppet Showplace as informal, friendly, and fun events that included potlucks, lectures, demonstrations, performances, and socialization. The members were well acquainted with one another, and accepting and supportive of new members. This playful but dedicated sensibility is continued today, such as a when guild members and local puppeteers visited Paul Vincent Davis’ retirement community to celebrate his 85th birthday with a performance cabaret.

AN EYE FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL

"The Poet's Eye" Puppetplaybill - Theatre By All Means: A Resident Company of The Puppet Showplace Theater, January 1992

Puppet Showplace presents puppet theater for all ages, and adult audiences were never an exception. The Poet's Eye, a show produced in 1992 and performed by Paul Vincent Davis, Nikki Tilroe, Caleb Fullam, and Roger Z. Miller under the name of the company "Theatre By All Means," is just one example of the thoughtful, creative, and experimental productions that have been presented here over the years. The premise of the show was that it would be "A Concert of Theatre Pieces," featuring vignettes from various literary and theatrical sources from around the world, composed collaboratively and presented in puppetry. While several company members had backgrounds as commercial entertainers (Nikki Tilroe is most famous for puppeteering Snuggles the Bear for Downy Fabric Softener commercials), in this production, they drew upon revered classics such as Shakespeare, Commedia dell'Arte, Japanese folklore, and Shinto myth. Today, Puppet Showplace continues to facilitate work that stretches the limits of what puppetry can be in events such as the Puppet Slam, in which members of the puppetry community are able to showcase their work and collaborate with each other to create something extraordinary.

CARING CLOWNS

Pierrot - Paul Vincent Davis, 2007

This Pierrot puppet, created for the 2007 production Here Come the Clowns, is just one of Paul Vincent Davis's many clown characters. Paul previously explored the world of the "circus clown" in the 70s, in his show Bingo the Circus Dog, and the "Commedia clown" in variety productions like The Poet's Eye. With Pierrot, he builds on this previous work, updating the classic character to reflect the diversity of Puppet Showplace’s audiences. The character has a friendly smile rather than a face of despair. In an article published in a 2007 issue of Brookline Magazine promoting the show, Vincent Davis expressed concern that many children were afraid of clowns, and that with this show, he sought to change that. This Pierrot is the perfect example of an approachable clown, so I would say that he succeeded! 

GLOBALLY CONNECTED

"Puppetshow benefits AI" — Brookline Citizen, April 19, 1984

Puppet Showplace has continuously dedicated itself to promoting social and global change. This article, published in The Brookline Citizen in 1984 advertises a fundraiser that Puppet Showplace held in partnership with Amnesty International in order to raise funds for the organization. It claims that this event was the first time that Amnesty International had directly reached out to kids in their efforts to promote world peace and human rights. The benefit also featured a special performance of Paul Vincent Davis's shows The Golden Axe and Three Festival Dances, which are based on a Japanese folk tale and traditional Japanese folk dances, respectively.

The world of puppetry is inherently global and cross-cultural. As an art form that has its roots in folk tradition across the world, part of the joy of puppetry is sharing local techniques with those on the other side of the globe. During my internship, our staff and the team from the Ballard Institute discussed the dangers of stereotype and exoticism, and how the norms of cultural representation have changed over time. I learned about how Paul engaged deeply with the Japanese community in Boston, and how he travelled to Japan to learn and share his work. It’s clear that cross-cultural engagement can lead to amazing collaborations when they are informed and handled sensitively.

Maiko Dancer - Paul Vincent Davis, 1979

Today, we encourage an engaged global dialogue at Puppet Showplace with productions such as our current mainstage show, My Night In the Planetarium, in which audiences are transported to 1970s Jakarta, Indonesia in order to be inspired to make the world more fair with the power of political art. In the broader world of puppetry, organizations such as UNIMA continue to host events which encourage international collaboration between puppet artists, and Resident Artist Sarah Nolen will lead a group from the Americas to the World Puppetry Congress in Bali this spring.

UNIDENTIFIED AND UNFINISHED PUPPETS

One of the things that has made the biggest impression on me during my internship is how the materiality of a puppet show can sometimes be the prompt for a show's entire premise. A show may begin with an idea for an interesting material, movement, or mechanism, which then dictates that a story be written that would allow that element to be used to its fullest. These unidentified and unfinished puppets are relics of this unique process, reflecting the spark of inspiration that lead to their creation. Whether or not they found their way into a full production, each of these puppets still contains a story.

Exploring the archives at Puppet Showplace has taught me a lot about the history of this theater and the world of puppetry. In the future, I intend to seek out more puppetry after having sampled a taste of the fantastic work that can emerge from the art form. I am going to miss working here, and I look forward to returning one day to catch a show!

If you would like to see a selection of some of Paul Vincent Davis's puppets in person, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry in Storrs, Connecticut will be exhibiting his work through June 7, 2020.

Behind the Scenes: Magnificent Monster Circus

John performs an excerpt from “Magnificent Monster Circus” at the Member Tea Party in October.

Hi everyone! My name is Asa, and I'm the Artistic Intern here at Puppet Showplace Theater this winter. I'm writing to share an insider's perspective on Magnificent Monster Circus, the newest show from CactusHead Puppets that premieres this month as part of the “New Year, New Shows!” series. This show was part of Puppet Showplace Theater’s Incubator Program which supports new work by local artists. I was lucky enough to see a sneak-peek of this fantabulous show at First Night Boston, so I was excited to ask John and Megan of CactusHead Puppets a few questions to find out more about their process.

What were some of your design inspirations?

John and Megan of CactusHead Puppets pose with their Magnificent Monsters.

John: We started with a classic circus design. And then we made it WEIRD!

Megan: We looked at images of classic, old-time circuses, because we definitely wanted that influence in our production design. We wanted friendly, not scary, monsters, so we researched a lot of cartoon-style images. We also looked at various creatures and based some of the monsters on existing animals. Agnes is a four-limbed cephalopod…

John: And Clarissa is kind of an anteater.

Q: How did you develop the talents and personalities of each monster?

J: Very little exact planning went into any of these puppets. We learned a lot about them by building and playing. We knew we wanted them to have different talents based on circus acts. The only one that we didn't know ahead of time was the worm.

M: The worm is made from a pop-up cat tunnel that we found when we wanted to build a monster with a bigger body that would move in a cool way. Now it’s a bit like a lion-taming routine, though the worm’s personality is more like a squirmy baby.

Q: Eustace the Unicycling Unimonster has been part of the show since its earliest performance. Can you tell us a little about Eustace?

J: We kind of just really wanted an adorable unicycling monster. I thought it would be a cool mechanism to work on so it really was design first, character discovery later. He went through a lot of changes; he used to have one eye and no horns, and he was very plain and couldn't focus.

M: A lot of his personality developed as we played with him and had him interact with audiences. He loves to do flips and land in unexpected places. That said, he's a little nervous.

J: He's very confident in his act, but can be spooked by other creatures. With a little coaxing and encouragement, he learns to be brave and try new things.

Q: You've been testing scenes from Magnificent Monster Circus for over a year now. How has the show grown through those test performances?

Megan brings Eustace into the audience during a preview performance at First Night Boston.

M: There's a lot of audience interaction that was developed with test audiences—it's impossible to fully rehearse that kind of thing without the audience there. 

J: We originally thought that this show was going to be like a flea circus—that it was going to be miniature and confined to the table top. As we did it with people, we realized the characters could go past into the audience, and that things like kids’ heads and hands could also be performance surfaces. It helped make our small, portable show feel much bigger and made the experience more immersive.

Q: You have been puppeteering together for over 15 years, but this is your first show where only one of you is performing on stage at once. What has your approach been to working together on this show?

Megan performs with the Fiery Fanged Worm

M: It has been a very collaborative effort! There would often be one of us who was more excited and inspired by one monster or another, so that person would take the creative lead on that act, design-wise and also performance-wise. For example, I did a lot of the Fiery Fanged Worm design, but then I handed it off to John, who figured out a lot of the performance aspects. Sometimes we would work independently then we'd meet together and decide what discoveries were worth trying with a test audience.

J: It was weird, I would get super anxious—even though we work together all the time!—because Megan was watching. It is nerve-wracking to perform for your spouse! But it has been a great experience for our company, because both of us are now able to perform this as a solo show.

Q: What are you most excited to share with audiences?

M: We're excited for people to experience what it's like to be a monster caretaker.

J: I can’t wait to share the world that we have made! 

I really enjoyed talking to John and Megan and learned a lot about the creation of a new show. I am certainly looking forward to meeting all of the monsters of Magnificent Monster Circus, and how to see you at the show! The performance runs January 11 - 26 at Puppet Showplace Theater. Learn More / Get Tickets.

Intern Asa poses with John, Megan and PST artists at First Night Boston.

Give the Gift of Puppetry - Holiday Guide 2019!

Meet Junior, one of the stars of “Go Home Tiny Monster”! Photo credit: Liz Linder

Puppet Showplace has new shows every week through the holiday season, kicking off this Thanksgiving weekend with “Go Home Tiny Monster” and running through to New Year’s Day with “The Amazing Story Machine”! Tickets sell out fast, so make sure to purchase your tickets in advance.

While you’re here for a show, do your holiday shopping in our Puppet Store, or purchase tickets, memberships, or gift cards online at any time! 

Puppet Store

We carry plush Folkmanis puppets in all shapes and sizes!

Our store has great gifts for puppet fans of all ages! From adorable Folkmanis animal puppets to a beautiful array of marionettes, the Puppet Showplace store has the most comprehensive selection of puppets for sale in Greater Boston. And remember, Members receive 10% off all store purchases.

Members make great puppetry possible!

Gift Memberships

Memberships make great gifts! Share a year of puppetry with someone special on your list. Memberships include complimentary tickets, discounts on shows, store purchases, birthday parties, and classes. Throughout the year, members will also receive invitations to special members-only events.

Four levels of membership are available: basic, family, puppets at night, and enthusiast. This gift is a great way to support the theater while making someone a part of the Puppet Showplace Theater family. 

Folkmanis finger puppets make great stocking stuffers!

Gift Cards

Can't decide what to get? We have the answer! Purchase a Puppet Showplace Gift Card, redeemable for tickets, puppet store purchases, adult/family workshops, and more! Gift cards are one of our most popular holiday items, and are available for purchase online or in person. Get one for everyone on your list!

Give the Gift of Puppetry to Kids in Need!

Students on a field trip to Puppet Showplace Theater, supported by YOUR gifts to the Mary Churchill Memorial Fund!

Want to share the magic of puppetry with schools and camps whose students come from low-income communities? Make a tax-deductible contribution to the Mary Churchill Memorial Fund, our field trip subsidy program. It's a great way to spread joy this holiday season. Your gift allows us to welcome over 1,000 kids to Puppet Showplace theater every year. 

Thank you for making Puppet Showplace a part of your holidays, and every day! 

Out of this World!

Blast off with our newest series! Celebrate inventors, explorers, and pioneers as you travel to imaginary worlds with intrepid puppeteers.

“Out of this World” runs from Thursday, November 7 - Wednesday, January 1. Tickets are $12.50-$16/general admission, $9-$12/members . For individual show descriptions and online ticket purchases visit our mainstage page. 

Out of this World 2019 SCHEDULE
Saturday & Sunday at 1:00 & 3:00 pm.
Thursday and Friday Weekday shows at 10:30 am.
Holiday / Vacation Showtimes: Monday November 11, Friday November 29 at 10:30 am and 1:00 pm.
New Year’s Eve & Day: December 31 and January 1 at 10:30, 1:00, and 3:00.
Special performance of OGO: Thursday - Saturday December 5-7 at 10:30

• "The Perils of Mr. Punch: The Astronut" by Modern Times Theater (Thurs 11/7-Mon 11/11).

• "African Adventure Tales" by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre (Thurs 11/14-Sun 11/17).

• "The Bremen Town Musicians" by CactusHead Puppets (Thurs 11/21-Sun 11/24).

• "Go Home Tiny Monster" by The Gottabees (Fri 11/29-Sun 12/1).

• "OGO" by Théâtre des Petites Âmes (Thurs 12/5-Sat 12/7).

• "Snow White and Other Tales" by Perry Alley Theatre (Sat 12/7-Sun 12/8).

• "The Snowflake Man" by Sarah Frechette, PuppetKabob (Thurs 12/12-Sun 12/15).

• "Holiday Sing-Along" with Sarah Nolen and Phil Berman (Thurs 12/19-Fri 12/20).

• "The Fairy Circus" by Tanglewood Marionettes (Sat 12/21-Sun 12/22).

• "Cinderella" by Tanglewood Marionettes (Mon 12/23-Tues 12/24, Thurs 12/26).

• "Peter and the Wolf" by National Marionette Theatre (Fri 12/27-Sat 12/28).

• "The Amazing Story Machine" by Doppelskope (Sun 12/29-Wed 1/1).

Animal Autumn!

A menagerie takes the mainstage with our Animal Autumn series! Come along on adventures with creatures real & fantastical as we journey into fall.

Animal Autumn runs from Saturday, September 7 - Saturday, November 2. Tickets are $12.50-$16/general admission, $9-$12/members . For individual show descriptions and online ticket purchases visit our mainstage page. 

Animal Autumn 2019 SCHEDULE
September 7 - November 2: Saturday & Sunday at 1:00 & 3:00 pm.
October 31 - November 1: Thursday and Friday Weekday shows at 10:30 am
Special Holiday Showtimes: Monday October 14 at 10:30 am and 1:00 pm (Indigenous People’s Day).

• "The Bella Show: BUGS!" by Brenda Huggins and Phil Berman (Sat 9/7-Sun 9/8).

• "The Three Pigs and Other Tales" by Deborah Costine Nature Puppets (Sat 9/14-Sun 9/15).

• "The Frog Prince and Other Frogs" by Perry Alley Theatre (Sat 9/21-Sun 9/22).

• "Animalia" by Hobey Ford’s Golden Rod Puppets (Sat 9/28-Sun 9/29).

• "Sock Monkey Circus" by Good Hearted Entertainment (Sat 10/5-Sun 10/6).

• "Sir George and the Dragon" by Pumpernickel Puppets (Sat 10/12-Mon 10/14).

• "Legend of the Snow Queen" by Puppet Bucket Productions (Sat 10/19-Sun 10/20).

• "The Fairy Tailor" by Sarah Nolen, Resident Artist (Sat 10/26-Sun 10/27).

• "Raccoon Tales" created by Paul Vincent Davis, performed by Brad Shur (Thurs 10/31-11/2).

Thank You and Farewell to Cat!

Cat exploring shadow puppetry in a staff workshop.

Managing Director Cat Meilus is off on a new adventure! Read her letter below, and stop by this August to say “farewell” in person.

Dear Friends,

When I first applied to work at Puppet Showplace Theater, I had no idea that puppetry would have such an impact on my personal and professional life. I joined the theater in 2012 after working for many years as a freelance stage manager, including a backstage gig on a puppet-filled production of  Avenue Q. My starting position at Puppet Showplace was as a Box Office Associate, where I directly helped thousands of people experience joyful, transformative puppetry productions every year. From there, I became the Audience Services Manager, and finally, the theater’s Managing Director, a position I have happily held for the last four years.

Cat at Puppet Showplace in 2014, in her role as Audience Services Manager.

In this role, I have been proud to lead our team towards several major administrative accomplishments that I would not have thought possible when I first walked through these doors. While I had no formal training in fundraising, I worked with our staff and board to research and identify new grantors, create a clear planning calendar, and hone our proposal writing process. In four years, we have more than doubled our grant revenue.  This included a major Cultural Facilities Fund grant through the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which awarded us the funds needed to upgrade our air conditioning systems. I hope you think of me on a hot summer day as you cool off in our theater and lobby!

I am also incredibly proud of my work with our HR committee to create the theater’s parental leave policy. While Puppet Showplace has always been deeply dedicated to the families in our audience, we lacked a clear road map for conferring  benefits to our staff. As the first full time staff member at Puppet Showplace to become a parent while employed here, it was important to me that I use my personal experience to advocate for a policy that went beyond minimum legal requirements and honored our values by supporting families both on and off stage.

Beyond my professional accomplishments at Puppet Showplace, one of the things I have always loved about this theater is that I can share it with every single member of my family. Mainstage performances have provided fun weekend outings for me and my sister to share together with our children. My mother has become a huge Puppet Slam fan, hardly missing a single one in years. Puppets at Night shows have been memorable date nights for me and my husband. But, nothing has been as special as watching my daughter, Reilly, grow up with me here at Puppet Showplace. As a regular Puppet Playtime attendee practically from birth, Reilly feels completely at home here at the theater and has grown to be a model audience member for the “big kid” Mainstage shows. She creates puppets out of nearly anything she can get her hands on, and loves getting the newest Puppet Showplace postcard in the mail so she can pick our next show or find her puppeteer friends’ pictures. Watching her experience the sheer magic of a puppet show has been one of my greatest parenting joys.

Cat Speaking at a Fundraising Gala with Artistic Director Roxie Myhrum and Puppet Showplace supporter and WGBH Radio Host Brian O’Donovan.

With my family welcoming our second child in September, I am looking forward to channeling the important work I’ve done here for the last seven years into raising the next generation of Puppet Showplace fans. I know I will still find myself here often, sharing puppetry with my entire family and working hard to spread the word about this incredible creative community. 

My last day at Puppet Showplace will be August 31st. I invite you to come by this month to say farewell, share a memory or two,  and catch a performance.

Thank you for making me a part of the Puppet Showplace family! 

Sincerely,

Cat Meilus

Cat welcomes audiences through the wheel-access entrance, one of the many projects she worked on while at Puppet Showplace Theater.

Summer Puppet Adventures!

Sail the seven seas, stretch your imagination, and save the day during our summer 2019 series!  Our 46th season kicks off with summer shows for audiences of all ages.

Summer Puppet Adventures runs from Wednesday July 10 - Monday September 2. Tickets are $12.50/general admission, $9/members . For individual show descriptions and online ticket purchases visit our mainstage page. 

Summer Puppet Adventures 2019 SCHEDULE
July 10 - August 17: Wednesdays-Saturdays at 10:30 am and 1:00 pm.
August 24 - September 1: Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 am and 1:00 pm.
Special Labor Day showtimes: Monday September 2 at 10:30 am and 1:00 pm.

• "The Pirate, the Princess, and the Pea" by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre (Weds 7/10-Sat 7/13).

• "Cardboard Explosion!" by Brad Shur, Paper Heart Puppets (Weds 7/17-Sat 7/20).

• "Judy Saves the Day!" by Sarah Nolen, Resident Artist (Weds 7/24-Sat 7/27).

• "The Pied Picker" by David Stephens, All Hands Puppets (Weds 7/31-Sat 8/3).

• "The Amazing Story Machine" by Doppelskope (Weds 8/7-Sat 8/10).

• "The Cat Came Back" by Mesner Puppet Theater (Weds 8/14-Sat 8/17).

• "Three Billy Goats Gruff" by Puppet Art Theater Co. (Sat 8/24-Sat 8/25).

• "Lollipops for Breakfast" by The Gottabees (Sat 8/31-Mon 9/2).

Hats Off to our Members!

Members make great puppetry possible! Every April, we reach out to Puppet Showplace friends and fans to share the great benefits of membership, including discounts on tickets, store purchases, birthday parties, and more. This year, we’re also planning a special members-only event: a FREE Silly Hat-Making Party, coming up April 14th!

Members-Only Event!
Silly Hat-Making Party

April 14 (Sun) | 4:00 pm
FREE for Members

HATS OFF to our members! Join us after the 3:00pm performance of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" for a FREE craft activity and meet-and-greet with CactusHead Puppets. Inspired by the Town of Hamelin's "Haberdashery Hoopla," families can make their own silly hats, then pose for a picture with the puppet cast members in the show. 

Interested in becoming a member? Visit our Memberships page to find out what level is right for you. Want to up your support? Enthusiast Members ($250) get benefits to all of our programs AND receive 2 FREE tickets to our upcoming 45th Birthday Celebration!

THANK YOU, MEMBERS, FOR BEING PART OF THE PUPPET SHOWPLACE FAMILY!

Stories in Bloom!

Adventure through the alphabet, journey under the soil, and make sweet music during our spring 2019 series!  Audiences young and old will love these 13 multi-sensory shows that spark creativity.

Stories in Bloom runs from Thursday April 4 - Saturday, June 15. Tickets are $12/general admission, $8/members . For individual show descriptions and online ticket purchases visit our mainstage page. 

Stories in Bloom 2019 SCHEDULE
Thursdays & Fridays at 10:30 and 1:00.
Saturday and Sunday in April and May at 1:00 and 3:00
Saturdays in June at 10:30 and 1:00 (No Sunday shows in June).

• "Word Play" by Good Hearted Entertainment (Thurs 4/4-Sun 4/7).

• "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" by CactusHead Puppets (Thurs 4/11-Sun 4/14).

• "A Woodland Cinderella" by Deborah Costine Nature Puppets (Tues 4/16-Wed 3/17).

• "Peter Rabbit Tales" by Tucker’s Tales (Thurs 4/18-Sat 4/20).

• "The Doubtful Sprout" by Liz Joyce & A Couple of Puppets (Thurs 4/25-Sun 4/28).

• "I Spy Butterfly" by Faye Dupras & Max Weigert (Thurs 5/2-Sun 5/5).

• "Turtle’s Wetland Quest" by Deborah Costine Nature Puppets (Thurs 5/9-Fri 5/10).

• "Cinderella" by Tanglewood Marionettes (Sat 5/11-Sun 5/12).

• "The Perils of Mr. Punch: That’s What I call Sweet Music" by Modern Times Theater
  (Thurs 5/16-Sun 5/19).

• "Pinocchio" by National Marionette Theater (Thurs 5/23-Mon 5/27).

• "The Legend of the Banana Kid" by Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers (Thurs 5/30-Sat 6/1).

• "Cozy Corner" by Faye Dupras & Max Weigert (Thurs 6/6-Sat 6/8).

• "The Fairy Circus" by Tanglewood Marionettes (Thurs 6/13-Sat 6/15).

Meet the Artists! Boston / Montreal Cultural Exchange

This year, in addition to celebrating World Puppetry Day with our “Puppets Around the World” series, we are thrilled to be participating in an international artist residency cultural exchange program in partnership with the Casteliers Festival and the Montreal Arts Council.

On March 1st, we said “Adieu!” to Boston-based puppeteer Veronica Barron as she travelled north to begin her international adventure in Montreal. On March 22nd, we will welcome international guest artist Caroline Bernier-Dionne to Brookline and Boston for a month of creative research at Puppet Showplace Theater.

Learn more below about these fantastic globe-trotting performers, and stay tuned for ways you can meet them in person and experience their work!

BIENVENUE À BOSTON, CAROLINE!

Since 2007, puppeteer Caroline Bernier-Dionne has integrated puppetry into her multidisciplinary artistic practice. Her many talents include multiple styles of puppet manipulation, interpretive movement, stilt-walking, and figure skating.

Caroline graduated with a degree in theater from Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe. She has worked with the Théâtre de la Dame de Cœur and the Théâtre de l'Avant-Pays, as well as in film and television. Recently, she participated in a musical at the Olympia which allowed her to perform with a puppet as a companion to operatic singing.

During her residency in New England, Caroline will explore puppetry in the service of musical expression, practicing lip synch while perfecting her technique of manipulating puppets to music. She will also investigate the intersections between live performance and cinematographic capture. While here, Caroline will share her work with the local puppetry community and will forge connections with the many outstanding professional puppeteers who perform at Puppet Showplace.

MEANWHILE, IN MONTREAL…VERONICA!

Boston-based puppeteer Veronica Barron is also spending a month in Montreal, experiencing the city’s vibrant local puppetry scene as well as the amazing Casteliers International Puppetry Festival. She is the first-ever artist to complete a residency in the city’s new puppetry center: MIAM - La Maison Internationale des Arts de la Marionnette.

Veronica’s work combines theater, dance, puppetry, clowning, and song. In her creations, she is interested in how stories emerge from everyday objects, body puppetry, and notions of gender and vulnerability. In October 2018, Veronica Barron presented at the Micro-Festival of Unfinished Puppetry in Trois-Rivières where she discovered the creative freedom of the puppet arts community in Quebec. During this residency, she hopes to further explore women's body diversity through dance, shadows, and the use of clothing as puppets.

Veronica Barron with Quebec-based puppeteers in an exploratory rehearsal at MIAM in Montreal.

THANK YOU to the Casteliers Festival, the Montreal Arts Council, and all of Puppet Showplace Theater’s generous supporters for making this cross-cultural creative residency possible!

Puppets Around the World!

Journey to Japan, climb a beanstalk, or meet Baba Yaga during our March 2019 series!  Audiences young and old can go on adventures around the world with five fantastic stories.

Weekday shows return February 28th with Thursday and Friday morning performances at 10:30 am. Interested in field trip opportunities? Contact the box office today! (617-731-6400, boxoffice@puppetshowplace.org).

For adults and teens, we’ll celebrate World Puppetry Day with a Puppet Showplace Slam!

Puppets Around the World runs from Thursday February 28 - Sunday, March 31. Tickets are $12/general admission, $8/members . For individual show descriptions and online ticket purchases visit our mainstage page. 

PUPPETS AROUND THE WORLD 2019 SCHEDULE
Thursdays & Fridays at 10:30 and 1:00.
Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 and 3:00.

• "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Dream Tale Puppets (Thurs 2/28-Sun 3/3), featuring performances by Polish puppeteer Jacek Zuzanski.

• "Shadows Around the World" by Nappy’s Puppets (Thurs 3/7-Sun 3/10), learn about global shadow puppetry styles from China to Turkey, and encounter world folktales with a humorous twist!

• "Little One-Inch" by Red Herring Puppets (Thurs 3/14-Sun 3/17). A traditional Japanese folk tale comes to life with a mix of Eastern and Western visual styles.

• "Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup" by Wonderspark Puppets (Fri 3/21-Sun 3/24). Two grandmothers, one Jewish and one Chinese, share recipes with their granddaughter.

• "Lisa the Wise" by Sarah Nolen, Resident Artist (Thurs 3/28-Sun 3/31). This show is inspired by the Russian folk tales of Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Wise.