"family puppet show"

World Premiere by Local Artist!

NEW YEAR, NEW SHOWS SERIES CONTINUES!

Puppet Showplace Theatre is proud to present ANOTHER brand new puppetry production in 2014 for family audiences by local artist, Faye Dupras of Somerville, MA. VIEW CALENDAR

"The Great Red Ball Rescue"
by Faye Dupras, 
Foreign Landscapes Productions
Feb 1-17, Sat & Sun at 1 & 3pm
Feb 7, Fri at 7pm: Reception to Follow


One breezey summer afternoon, puppeteer and mom, Faye Dupras took her son to the beach...

The events of the day inspired "The Great Red Ball Rescue", an exciting story about a boy who's red ball is lost in the waves of the ocean. The real-life adventure of Faye's son on the Massachusetts coastline is just the beginning of this magical adventure told with mixed-puppetry styles and a new original musical score by Dana Colley (think indie rock band "Morphine", awesome right?)

What would it be like to dive into the ocean and discover the mysteries of the sea?  Told through the imagination of a 5 year old boy, "The Great Red Ball Rescue" explores the limitless adventures within the beautiful world of the deep blue sea.


About the show: Red alert! A family trip to the beach goes awry when a young boy's favorite red ball gets whisked away by the tides. Can he summon the courage to get it back? Join Jasper, a timid kid with a big imagination, as he sets out on an adventure across the ocean, under the waves, and up into the clouds. Along the way, he meets fantastical fortunetellers, thieving fishermen, and many mysterious creatures of the deep. Will he ever reclaim his favorite Red Ball from the clutches of the sea? Find out in this visually stunning production featuring multiple styles of puppetry, an original score, and lots of sea-faring fun!


About the Artist: Faye Dupras grew up doing art and theater but it wasn’t until she accidentally stumbled upon a puppet exhibition in rural Ontario in the mid 90’s that she decided to become a puppeteer. Luck was on her side, and within the month she was apprenticing under the exhibit’s curator, Canada’s acclaimed puppeteer Noreen Young.


To broaden her training Faye continued to work as a puppeteer while completing a BFA in “Theater and Development” from Concordia University in Montreal Canada followed by an MFA in “Puppetry Arts” from the University of Connecticut. This allowed for many diverse experiences: performing around the world (France, Costa Rica, Spain, Brazil) and designing, directing, and building for numerous puppet and theater companies. Since 2004 Faye has been the artistic director of Foreign Landscapes Productions under which she has created several award-winning performances, including "By The Willow," which received an UNIMA-USA citation of excellence, the highest recognition in American puppetry.


Recent professional highlights include working for the Canadian Opera Company as a shadow puppeteer on Atom Egoyan’s production of "Salome" (Toronto ’13); puppet design and direction for Liars and Believer’s critically acclaimed production of "Icarus" (Boston/NY ‘13); and co-developing and implementing Humber College’s inaugural Puppet Intensive that drew participants from across Canada (Toronto ’13). Faye is pleased to have an ongoing relationship with Underground Railway Theater's as one of their "go to" puppet artists. Critics have described Faye’s work as “spellbinding,” “imaginative,” and “powerful.” This is her first full-length production for young children. www.fayedupras.com

About the composer: Dana Colley is a musician and producer who first appeared on the Boston, Massachusetts indie Rock scene playing saxophone with the group Three Colors. In 1989, Colley co-founded "Morphine" which signed with major label DreamWorks Records in 1996. After the sudden end of Morphine he joined forces with Billy Conway and Laurie Sargent to form the trio Twinemen. Colley has made guest appearances with Primus and Lilium. 

He’s played saxophone and bass clarinet on Dan Brenner's 2011 CD Little Dark Angel, produced by Jay Newland. In 2012 he played in Italy with the Italian band Rudy and the M.O.B. He was a featured performer on ”Wild Things,” and “Just Your Luck.” He composed for documentaries “Radical Jesters,” “System Is Broken” and “Condo Painting.”

Bella Monster and Friends are Back!


Your favorite furry monster is back with new adventures!

Puppet Playtime with Bella
and Friends!
by Brenda Huggins and Phil Berman
Wednesdays at 10:30am

WINTER: Jan 8-Feb 12
SPRING: Mar 5 - April 16 
(No session Apr 23) April 30 - May 14


After a short winter break, Puppet Playtime is back for new weekly performances staring Brookline's favorite pink monster, Bella! These weekly interactive performances for the very young (children 3 and below) feature live music, imaginary play, and short puppet vignettes.  Each week is a new adventure! Ride a rocket ship to outer space, have a teddy bear picnic, make friends with bugs in the garden, or go on a camping trip!

5 Session passes available: Adult/ child pairs are invited to drop-in for just one interactive-performance, or you can purchase a flexible 5 session pass for the price of 4! PASS INFO

Phil Berman, Bella Monster, and Brenda Huggins
About the performers: For the past year, Puppet Playtime has delighted very young audiences at Puppet Showplace Theatre in Brookline as well as many other venues in the Greater Boston Area including the Cambridge River Fest, Duckling Day on the Boston Common, First Night Boston, the Boston Children's Museum, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and many pre-schools and libraries.

Phil Berman, Puppet Playtime creator and performer
Phil Berman is a Boston-based actor, guitarist, and dramaturg. He loves writing original music for kids, and is thrilled to be performing at Puppet Showplace Theatre. Phil is a member of the puppet company Free Hands Productions, with whom he created "The First Person to Consider the Sun" and "Three Blessed Brothers." Phil has a BFA from Boston University.

Bella with Brenda Huggins, Puppet Playtime creator and performer
Brenda Huggins is an educator and theatre artist who has taught puppetry classes to students of all ages throughout greater Boston area. She received her MA in theatre Education at Emerson college after studying vocal performance at Western Connecticut State University. Her work as a director, costume designer, and solo performer has been seen throughout the New England region.

Bella goes on an outer space adventure!
Bella Monster was created by Jonathan Little of Little's Creatures and has been Puppet Showplace Theatre's "monster in residence" since 2011. She enjoys puppet shows, singing, dancing, and the color pink (of coarse!) Oh, and she also loves giving MONSTER KISSES!

Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" at Puppet Showplace!

FINAL SNOWY STORY OF THE SERIES!

"Peter and the Wolf"


by National Marionette Theatre

SOLD OUT: Mon, Dec 30, 10:30am & 1pm
SOLD OUT: Tues, Dec 31, 10:30am
Tues, Dec 31 at 1pm
SOLD OUT: Wed, Jan 1, 10:30am & 1pm
Thurs, Jan 1- 2 at 10:30am & 1pm

BUY TICKETS

This winter, Puppet Showplace has brought you tales from snowy lands, gingerbread houses, snowflakes, and an underpants snatching squirrel. The final performance of our "Snowy Stories" series this season features the beautifully hand crafted marionettes of "Peter and the Wolf" by National Marionette Theatre of Brattleboro, VT!

Many of the performances during the final days of school vacation week are already SOLD OUT, so advanced reservations are highly recommended!


About the show: Prokofiev’s "Peter and the Wolf" has enchanted audiences since its premier in 1936. Set in turn of the century Russia, this elegant production tells the story of how Peter, along with his animal friends, outsmarts and captures a wolf. Each performance begins with a bumbling conductor who introduces the orchestral instruments and demonstrates--with a bit of slapstick humor--how their sounds represent each character in the story. The production features the beautiful music of Prokofiev’s orchestral score combined with stunning scenery and hand-crafted marionettes.


About the performer: National Marionette Theatre (NMT) is one of the oldest continually-running marionette theaters 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.

National Marionette Theatre, the Syrotiak family.
Noted for their amazing manipulation technique and imaginative fully staged productions, National Marionette Theater is committed to bringing you the very best in family entertainment.

NMT has performed for a diverse clientele over the years. From elementary schools to the Smithsonian in Washington DC to an outdoor piazza in Italy.

Learn more about National Marionette Theatre on their website: www.nmtshow.com