Puppet Slam Returns to PST!

THIS WEEK AT PST...

NOVEMBER "VOTE FOR PUPPETS" SLAM!
Saturday Nov 10, 2012 8:00 PM 
BUY TICKETS

Are you reading this?  Are you an adult?  Well, then - do we have something for you: rude, crude (and therefore hi-larious) puppets!  

About the Show: Join us for 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 musicians, dancers, mimes, actors, and other sundry affiliated artists.

About the Performers:  Just to name a few...Britt Juchem and Ariel Gregory - a.k.a. Bat Honey Puppeteers - have collaborated on stop-motion animations, murals, children’s books, board games and puppet shows.  Evan O'Television has been dazzling and perplexing audiences with his one-man-double-ac and video ventriloquism since 1995.  And Tom and Marianne Tucker - a.k.a. Tuckers' Tales Puppet Theatre - have performed at puppet, folk, ethnic and street festivals, and at craft fairs, shopping centers, theaters and schools around the country. 

Behind the Scenes at PST: Puppet Slam!

NOVEMBER "VOTE FOR PUPPETS" SLAM!

Saturday Nov 10, 2012
8:00 pm at Puppet Showplace Theatre
BUY TICKETS

First Thing's First...

What is a puppet slam?  Well, for those of you who don't know, a puppet slam is a contemporary short-form puppet-and-object theatre experience for adult audiences.  They're often performed late at night in small venues like nightclubs and art spaces.

What's it like at PST?  It's 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 musicians, dancers, mimes, actors, and other sundry affiliated artists.

Gathering influence from vaudeville, burlesque, and performance art, puppet slams are rude, crude, and downright hi-larious!

PST'S Recent Puppet Slam History

You didn't know?  Just a few weeks ago, we hosted a puppet slam - better known as "Puppets @ Night" - here at PST and it was a huge success.  Full house, basically.  We think the reason why it was such a huge success is because we were able to showcase a wide variety of vignettes for our audience, including "The Golden Stoat" - the story of a royal princess and her dyslexic lover - which featured PST's very own Communications Director, Brenda Huggins, who served as the story's narrator and the Executioners.

Brenda Huggins in "The Golden Stoat."

Who knew the late hours of the night could bring out the "crazy" in these performers (in a good way).  It's a good thing, though, because without crazy, puppet slams are not as entertaining.

This Week...

In addition to celebrating the holiday season with the Feast of Food and Folktales, PST will also be hosting yet another puppet slam.  For those of you who attended our last one, you know what you're in for (kind of), but for all you first timers?  This will be a great break from the norm.

Featuring the Iron Will Tate puppet show by Bat Honey Puppeteers plus new works by Evan O'Television, and musical guests Tom and Marianne Tucker - this month's puppet slam is sure to be just as hi-larious as our last.

About the Performers...

Let's start with duo of Britt Juchem and Ariel Gregory (a.k.a. Bat Honey Puppeteers).  They have collaborated on stop-motion animations, murals, children’s books, board games and puppet shows.  Britt Juchem was raised in Pennsylvania.  Loving the excitement and close proximity of the East Coast, Britt would draw inspiration from the unique sights and sounds of the city and the crowds.  Ariel Gregory was raised in New Mexico.  A lad armed with a spear and the wide open desert, Ariel’s work reflects a boy’s wild imagination.

An example of Bat Honey

Next is Evan O'Television.  He's been dazzling and perplexing audiences with his one-man-double-ac and video ventriloquism since 1995.  Evan also serves as a co-founder and resident Artistic Co-Director of the underground performing arts space, Pan 9.  In 2007 he was profiled in An Encyclopedia of Vaudeville Performers by Routledge Press.  Evan’s full-length solo theatrical work - “Double Negatives” - premiered at the Perishable Theatre in March 2008 and will be appearing in new venues throughout 2009.

An example of Evan O'Television

And Tom and Marianne Tucker.  You may know them better as the team behind Tuckers' Tales Puppet Theatre, the Performing division of Puppet Perceptions, Inc., which is a Philadelphia-based performing company founded in 1981. Both Marianne and Tom Tucker have performed at puppet, folk, ethnic and street festivals, and at craft fairs, shopping centers, theaters and schools around the country. Audiences from small children to senior citizens have enjoyed the variety of styles skillfully displayed in their interesting programs.  They also teach workshops in puppetry and construct puppets as requested.

An example of Tuckers' Tales

What a colorful cast of characters, eh?  Just imagine what the performers are like...at night.  Oh, the comedic genius is endless.  They will all razzle and dazzle you.

Finally...

Be sure to come on down to PST the night of November 10th.  Once the sun goes down and the moon rises, PST will host the craziest (therefore funniest) of performers you can ever imagine.  Tickets may be purchased HERE.  

Till next time!  Yours truly, Esra Erol - marketing intern at PST.  

Behind the Scenes at PST: Senseless!

A 2011 performance of Senseless!

Playing With The Senses in Senseless!

You know how we puppet-loving PST employees love to bring joy to children?  Yeah, well, we like doing that for adults too, which is why we thought we'd add Senseless! to our fall lineup.  Before you see the show, take a moment to read about it.

The Show...

Let's begin with the story.  Senseless! is a send-up of classic old time radio melodramas.  Using puppets and live Foley sound effects, the performers create a Film Noir-like world, in which Brick Foley: Blind Detective must stop a series of murders at the Helen Keller School of Music and win the heart of the woman he lost years before.  Sounds great in print, I know, but check out a clip from their premiere below:

Take a moment to let that soak in.  Did you do it?  Do you agree that it's awesome - like nothing you've ever seen before?  Ok, good.  Let's continue.  

Senseless! premiered as part of the Puppet Lab series at the renowned St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York City, where it received nothing but praise, of course.  Since then, it has been performed at the Voice 4 Vision Puppet Festival and the New Orleans Fringe Festival, where the NOLA Defender had this to say about it: "a nearly flawless performance" - which we agree to. 

Yes!  Inspired by the shows of the Golden Age of radio and by live performances of NPR's Prairie Home Companion, Senseless! brings the exciting and chaotic sound effects props table to life with object-theatre puppetry.

And The Performer(s)... 

You know what they say: "story and character are key."  Senseless! has both for sure.  You've read about (even seen) some of the story.  Now let the colorful characters (a.k.a. the performers behind 'em) do some of their magic.

Let's begin with Elizabeth Hara, the mastermind behind Senseless!.  With a resume that highlights past work like "puppet builder for the Jim Henson Company, Sesame Street, and Avenue Q," you know she's guaranteed to bring the mother of all shows to the PST stage.

And then there's her team, which features the performing talents of Brendan Yi-Fu Tay (The Puppet Kitchen,) Sarah Lafferty (Castleton Opera Festival,) Katrina Denney (Fundamental Theatre Group), Emmy Award-winner Michael Schupbach (Sesame Street, Johnny and the Sprites) Eric Wright (The Puppet Kitchen, The Metropolitan Opera, The Public Theatre) and David Brown (Poor But Sexy).

Just a small number of the Senseless! Performers

Now, just a reminder: Someone is killing the students at the Helen Keller School of Music - and the poor kids never saw it coming. Only Brick Foley: Blind Detective can save the school and the woman he loves from the senseless murders.

If you want in on this adventure, then you better come on down to PST this weekend because the more the merrier.  Plus, you don't want to let Brick Foley go about this all by his lonesome self, do you?  I didn't think so.  In case you haven't done so already, you can buy your tickets HERE, as well as the PST Box Office.

Till next time!  Yours truly, Esra Erol - marketing intern at PST.

PuppetSLAM is this Saturday night at 8pm!

You know what makes PuppetSLAM so much fun? It's different from any other live theater you're likely to find. And the Slam we're cooking up for this Saturday night promises to be equally unique!

Diane Allison will be here, performing a segment of her show "Miriam," the story of a prophetess who finds herself on the wrong side of God (as told with humor, pathos, and one life-size puppet).

ALSO— Behind the Mask Theatre will be here with a excerpt of "The Masks of Odysseus", their original production of Greek mythology featuring fine acting, costumes, and hand-made masks!

Other performers include Little's Creatures and many others, including two brave audience volunteers!

You definitely don't want to miss this show!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE
CALL 617-731-6400 OR CLICK HERE

November 15th PuppetSLAM Canceled

The PuppetSLAM that had been scheduled for Saturday, November 15th has been canceled. If you were among those who purchased tickets for this event, our box office will be in touch with you this week.

The next slam is scheduled for the evening of Saturday, January 17th, 2009.

We look forward to seeing you then!