"Puppet Showplace Theater"

Snowy Stories Series Begins at Puppet Showplace!

Snowy Stories: Dec 5-Jan 2 (VIEW CALENDAR)

This December through January, Puppet Showplace presents a series of puppet shows for the whole family that feature snowy stories and holiday themed fun! Enjoy original tales like "Squirrel Stole My Underpants!" by Bonnie Duncan, to classic stories like "Hansel and Gretel" and "Peter and the Wolf." How many "Snowy Stories" will you see this holiday season?!

The series kicks-off with a HILARIOUS glove puppet show by puppeteer and children's librarian, Sparky Davis! Baby Emma the bulldog and friends host a cabaret of short snowy-themed folktales for the whole family. SERIOUSLY. This show will have the little ones AND the adults in stitches!

"Tales from Snowy Lands" 
by Sparky's Puppets

Thu & Fri, December 5 & 6 @ 10:30 am
Sat & Sun December 7 & 8 @ 1:00 & 3:00 pm

BUY TICKETS

About the show: Sparky's Puppets perform a lively medley of stories that all take place on a winter's day. Watch Jack Frost's magic bring a snowman to life. Find out what happens when a boastful bear goes ice fishing. And laugh at the antics of three pesky goblins as they visit a toy maker's shop on a cold and snowy day. Lots of audience interaction, clever word play, and skillful puppet performance make this a a fun and memorable show!

About the performer: Kathleen “Sparky” Davis began dramatizing stories with hand puppets while working as a children's librarian. Since 1980, Sparky's Puppets have delighted children and family audiences at schools, libraries and festivals throughout New England. Every summer, Sparky creates a special show for the Rhode Island statewide public libraries' summer reading program.

Sparky loves to see children's reactions to their favorite stories brought to life with endearing puppet characters. She is known for her quick wit and hilarious sense of humor. A preschool child at a recent show was heard to say. "It was so funny I burst out laughing!"

The Magic of Hans Christian Andersen coming to PST

THIS WEEK AT PST

The Emperor, Thumbelisa, and The Ugly Duckling
The Second Annual FALL FAIRYTALE FESTIVAL continues with...

The Magic of Hans Christian Andersen
by Applause Unlimited 

Fri Oct 5 | 10:30am & 3:00pm
Sat Oct 6, Sun Oct 7 | 1:00pm & 3:00pm
BUY TICKETS

All hans on deck for a celebration of Hans Christian Andersen! Whether dealing with ducklings, a (very) little lass, or an emperor's wardrobe malfunction, the Danish fairytale author could find meaning and morals in everything. Check it out this week at PST.

About the show: Applause Unlimited celebrates one of the 20th century’s greatest storytellers - Hans Christian Andersen - with this magnificent UNIMA award winning show. Sometimes serious and heartwarming, sometimes downright silly, but always fun, the show features storytelling and song as well as multiple styles of puppets in three of Andersen’s best loved tales: “The Ugly Duckling,” “Thumbelisa,” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
Hand puppets, rod puppets, and marionettes, recommended ages 4 & up

About the performer: Applause Unlimited offers a wide range of performances featuring fresh presentations of classic tales.  Their approach includes masks, storytelling, music, and comedy in a unique combination that quietly educates as it entertains.  Applause Unlimited has performed at festivals and in theaters worldwide.  Their shows have been acclaimed by audiences, educators, producers, and sponsors of children's and family entertainment - receiving two Citations Of Excellence from the Union Internionale de la Marionette.

Organizations Unite to Promote Storytelling


Puppet Showplace Theatre to collaborate with storytelling 
nonprofit massmouth, inc.

This 2012-2013 season Puppet Showplace Theatre will be teaming up massmouth, inc., a nonprofit organization focused on promoting storytelling in the 21st century, for a new partnership to promote traditional storytelling in Boston. The non-profit organizations are set to collaborate on all-ages, family storytelling performance-and-workshops with massmouth, inc.'s Norah Dooley as well as adults-only Folk and Fairytale slams.

Storytelling Workshop Series Dates

How to Tell a Great Fairytale,” Oct 8 from 3-5pm - Experience the magic of a well-told traditional tale, then learn how storytellers can make fantastical characters and settings come to life using the power of words and imagination. Bring a favorite fairytale, or use one from our collections! Register Here

Family Stories,” Dec 2 from 3-5pm - Heirlooms, attic boxes, old photo albums...Is your house filled with the beginnings of great stories? Just in time for the holidays, learn how to turn mementos and memories into compelling tales that can be shared with friends and family. Bring a photo or any object that reminds you of a person or event in your life or family history. Or simply bring a memory that you think would make a good story. Register Here

Single registrant: $25/person ($20 PST members)
Family pricing: $25/ first participant, $15 additional ($20/$10 for PST members).
Children under 13 must participate with an adult.

massmouth, inc.

Founded in August, 2008 by Norah Dooley, Andrea Lovett and Doria Hughes, massmouth, inc. is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit committed to promoting the timeless art of storytelling in the 21st century through digital and social media, education and live performance. massmouth aims to reinvigorate storytelling in Massachusetts and restore it to its rightful place as a recognized art form.  Additionally, the organization hopes to improve storytelling’s accessibility to all and empower others to listen to, create, and share their stories through education and community outreach. 

For more information, check out massmouth's website. 

Norah Dooley
Norah Dooley, workshop leader


The massmouth, inc./PST collaboration has been spearheaded by massmouth founder Norah Dooley. A storyteller, critically-acclaimed children’s author and educator, Norah started a story slam series in Greater Boston as co-founder of massmouth, inc. Additionally, Norah has published six storytelling CDs, and her widely acclaimed picture book, Everybody Cooks Rice is one of four titles in a series about her former neighborhood in Cambridge, Mass. She teaches storytelling, performance skills, directs theater, and performs in schools, libraries and teacher’s conferences. Norah was the featured storyteller in the Christmas and Spring Revels in Cambridge and Boston, Mass., the Cambridge River Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Albany NY River Festival, 3 Apples Storytelling Festival, MA and at the Clearwater Festival.

For more information about Norah, visit her website.  




Jack and the Beanstalk: Giant-Sized Entertainment Comes to PST

THIS WEEK AT PST

The 2nd Annual
FALL FAIRYTALE FESTIVAL continues with...

Jack and the Beanstalk
by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre
Sat Sun & Mon | Sept 15 16 & 17 | 1pm & 3pm (Sat & Sun) 10:30am & 1pm (Mon)
BUY TICKETS

The saying goes, "Dreams can come true." This week at PST, Jack plants three magic beans, dreams of a magic beanstalk, and later that night, one grows in his backyard! See what happens when he gathers the courage to climb up the beanstalk and explore the world above...and the giants who live there!

About the show: Sent to the market to sell his old cow, Jack returns home with a measly handful of beans. Jack is devastated until... the beans become a beanstalk, the beanstalk leads to adventure, and Jack has a chance at fame and fortune. All he has to do is outwit a very hungry giant! Crabgrass Puppet Theatre's hilarious retelling of the tallest of tales is full of fun and loaded with laughs. Colorful scenery, exciting puppetry, and a delightful musical score combine to create a giant-sized entertainment for all ages.
Mixed styles, recommended for ages 3 & up

About the performer: The Crabgrass Puppet Theatre is an award-winning touring puppet theatre founded in 1982 by Jamie Keithline and Bonny Hall. Jamie and Bonny met in 1979, while performing in Laughingstock!, a puppet-and-actor production at the University of Connecticut in which Bonny played Jamie's father. They have been working together ever since!


Behind the Scenes at PST: Jack & the Beanstalk

Crabgrass Puppet Theatre: Masters of Illusion.

Greetings, readers!  My name is Esra and every week we, the marketing team here at PST, are going to give you a special inside-look at how some of our shows come to life!

Adapting the Story

Colorful scenery, exciting puppetry, and a delightful musical score - you can see and hear it all in the Crabgrass Puppet Theatre's retelling of the tallest of tales, Jack and the Beanstalk, which is everything it should be: a fun, giant-sized adventure for all ages.

Now, some of you may be wondering: what are the "mechanics" of puppet theatre, especially with this particular show?  Well, we're glad you asked!

The Mechanics

Let's begin with the stage.  Rather than create two separate sets, the talented artsits at the Crabgrass Puppet Theatre combined Jack's home (bottom) with that of the Giants (top).  

The question is: why?  Simple.  Jack and the Beanstalk tells the story of  a young lad who exchanges the family cow for a handful of magic beans.  When he plants the beans, a beanstalk grows in his backyard and Jack, being ever-so curious, climbs it, only to find himself high above the clouds in the Giants' world.  

In order to create this illusion - the Giants living atop the human world on the beanstalk - the artists at the Crabgrass Puppet Theatre combined what could have been two separate sets into one.


Of course, we know you readers to be just as curious as good 'ol Jack, so you've probably got some more questions.  Perhaps one like, "How does the real Jack appear smaller next to the Giants if they're puppets?"  Good question!  If the real Jack stood next to the Giants - well, he would appear more giant than the Giants because he's an actual person and the Giants are puppets.  So, to solve this problem, the artists at Crabgrass Puppet Theatre created a puppet-sized Jack, thus making him appear smaller next to the Giants.
Remember, this show's about bringing the story of Jack and the Beanstalk to life.  In order to do that, the artists at the Crabgrass Puppet Theatre had to make certain adjustments on stage.  By combining two sets Jack's home with the Giants' home into one, they were able to create the illusion of two worlds, one on the ground and one in the sky, atop the beanstalk.  And by creating a puppet-sized Jack, they were able to create the illusion of a tiny Jack, making the actually small puppet Giants seem giant-sized.

To see these wonderful "mechanics" at work, check out a preview of the show below: 


Then, attend one of the several performances at the Puppet Showplace Theatre between September 15th and 17th (BUY TICKETS). 

Thanks for reading!  Be sure to come back next week for another "Behind the Scenes at PST."  

Yours truly, Esra - Marketing Intern.


   

My New Favorite Thing: Dragons

Hi Everyone!
I am so excited for our puppet show this weekend, "Sir George and The Dragon" by Pumpernickel Puppets. What is better to talk about than dragons? I am curious to learn about the history of dragons with all of you. Especially, since they are a kind of monster. Being descendants of my people it is my duty to educate all of us. To the library!

Different stories of dragons appear throughout every culture in history. Dragons were often an answer to the unknown... During the time that the Earth was believed to be flat, people thought that dragons were on the edge of the Earth, waiting to consume anyone who dared travel that far into the sea. This idea stopped people from exploring the unexplored. On maps, these areas had the warning, "Here be dragons" printed on them.

Being one of the more popular fantasy creatures, dragons often appeared in mythology. In most myths, dragons are the keeper of some treasure. To retrieve the prize the dragon must be slain! This is the challenge our character, Sir George faces, in Sir George and the Dragon.

Sir George and The Dragon is a story that began in the Middle Ages and has been retold for centuries! In this version by Pumpernickel Puppets, we meet a clumsy dog, a babysitter named Zelda, a silly bat and a lovable dragon to help George along the way.


Sir George and The Dragon
by Pumpernickel Puppets
August 25 @ 10:30-11:30 am and 1:00-2:00 pm
Buy Tickets!


Dragons are often still portrayed in stories. Here are some of the dragons portrayed by the story tellers of our time.





Uncle Deadly from the Muppet Show


The Muppet Show transforms the idea of fearsome dragons into those who believe in the power of friendship. Jim Henson believed in individuality in the way that Miss Piggy is a pig but she is beautiful. Vincent Price and Uncle Deadly both have a spooky reputation but as Jim believed, don't judge a book by its cover.

Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon


This animation makes everyone want a pet dragon of there own! The animators on this film brought there lovable dragons to life by giving them cat like qualities. They aren't terrifying monsters! Just big cats with wings... that happen to breathe fire. Making the dragons pets, makes them like children. They are innocent and only know how to love, like Toothless, the dragon in this video.

The Hungarian Horntail from Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire


The Harry Potter series is known to use ancient myth and folklore as inspiration to create the world of the story. It is clear in this scene of Harry battling what is called, a Hungarian Horntail dragon, that they took the Medieval approach. Never fear! Harry Potter does persevere.

However, a Bella Monster is still the best monster. Don't you agree?

LOVE!
Bella Monster

Fortune Favors The Brave In This New Show!

THIS WEEK AT PST

Jack and the Beanstalk PST PREMIERE!
by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre
Wed-Sat | Aug 15-18 | 10:30am, 1pm & 3pm  

Buy Tickets!

Follow your instincts with Jack as he embarks on his journey of fame and fortune by risking it all, and enjoy giant sized entertainment for the whole the whole family. Climb up the magic beanstalk with us this week at PST as we reach for our dreams! 

About the show: Sent to the market to sell his old cow, Jack returns home with a measly handful of beans. Jack is in disgrace until. . . the beans become a beanstalk, the beanstalk leads to adventure, and Jack has a chance at fame and fortune. All he has to do is outwit a very hungry giant! Crabgrass Puppet Theatre's hilarious retelling of the tallest of tales is full of fun and loaded with laughs. Colorful scenery, exciting puppetry and a delightful musical score combine to create a giant-sized entertainment for all ages.

About the Performer: The Crabgrass Puppet Theatre is an award-winning touring puppet theatre founded in 1982 by Jamie Keithline and Bonny Hall. Jamie and Bonny met in 1979, while performing in Laughingstock!, a puppet-and-actor production at the University of Connecticut in which Bonny played Jamie's father. They have been working together ever since! Crabgrass Puppet Theatre has twice been awarded the prestigious Citation of Excellence from the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionette (UNIMA-USA), the highest honor in American puppetry, in 2001 and again in 2005.

In 2008, Bonny Hall received a Commendation for Design in the Puppet Theatre from the Arlyn Award Foundation. They have given many thousands of performances in schools, libraries, museums, and arts festivals, and have performed at over two dozen regional, national and international puppetry festivals. Crabgrass Puppet Theatre continues to perform more than 200 shows each year, reaching over 100,000 people throughout the US.

Post-Show Reception: Join us after the 10:30am show on Sat, Aug 18th for a post-show reception sponsored  by the Boston Area Guild of Puppetry to celebrate this exciting new production by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre! Enjoy refreshments and chat with the performers in the PST lobby after the show.

My New Favorite Thing: Middle Eastern Music

Welcome Puppet Fans!                                                                
I am here to give you your weekly addition of me, Bella Monster with my new favorite thing. An Arabian Adventure is playing this week at PST! This is a tale of a Persian Prince imprisoned for his love of a beautiful princess who must stop at nothing to save her from a terrible fate. The soundtrack for the show is traditional Middle Eastern music that transports you to another time and place entirely new. Join me on this adventure!

An Arabian Adventure 

Aug 1, 2012 - Aug 4, 2012 

The music is hypnotizing and exotic. I wondered what made it so different from the music I am familiar with? My curiosity led me to my new favorite thing, Middle Eastern music! Here's what I learned. Traditional Eastern music uses what is called, Maquams, melodic modes which are said to evoke a different emotion in each listener. Each time we hear these maquams we all feel a different feeling, unique to who we are! Isn't that amazing that we can all hear the same sound but have a different feeling?

Our music or Western music uses chords but traditional Eastern music will have one instrument carry the melody while the others layer melody scraps or rhythm segments over it. When we listen to this we are absorbing new musical rhythms, musical notes and melodies. Listen to the arabic instruments in this video below. How do these new sounds make you feel?


Here are some of the most popular instruments in traditional Middle Eastern music seen in the video. 

Oud - A string instrument with 11 strings and no frets.

Riq- The Arabic tambourine.


Darbuka- A popular percussion instrument.


Ney - Resembles the flute in instrument and sound but is very difficult to play.
I can't wait to experience the exciting arabian tale this week at PST with the beautiful instruments I just learned about. Hope to see you there! 


Love,
Bella Monster

My New Favorite Thing: Glove Puppetry!

Hello Puppet fans,
It's your favorite time of the week, "My New Favorite Thing" from me, your favorite puppet, Bella Monster! This week I want to tell to you about glove puppetry. Glove puppetry is totally awesome! It's one of the most recognizable and common forms of puppetry. Being one of the oldest forms of theatre, you might recognize it as one of the most famous puppetry acts, Punch and Judy.

Brad Shur, my friend and artist in residence here at PST, is teaching a class for adults this Summer on glove puppetry. (photo right)  I wanted to know what glove puppets are all about, and boy did I find out!


Glove Puppetry Boot Camp
Instructor: Brad Shur, Artist in Residence





I took the class and can now unleash the expressive power of my hands in glove puppetry, like a pro. I also got to interview my pal, Brad for all of you to become experts on glove puppetry too. 







Here is what the glove puppet master had to say:

Me: Hi Brad!
Brad: Hey Bella

Me: When did you know you wanted to be a puppeteer?
Brad: I grew up watching the Muppets and the Fraggles and Dark Crystal, and I always loved to act and write and make things. By the time I got to high school, I realized that I could do all those things in one job as a puppeteer and be a part of the art form that I'd loved so much.

Me: What is a glove puppet?
Brad: A glove puppet is a very old style of puppet that fits over the puppeteers hand. The fingers are used to move the head and hands of the puppet. It's called a glove puppet because it fits over your hand like a glove.

Me: I'm a mouth and rod puppet, what's the difference between a glove puppet and the kind of puppet that I am?
Brad: Glove puppets mostly don't move their mouths like you do. They use body language like clowns or mimes do. That's how they communicate. A mouth and rod puppet like you takes two hands to manipulate, but I only need one hand for a glove puppet, so I can perform two puppets at a time, and that's a show!

Me: What was the first glove puppet show you saw?
Brad: The first one I remember was Liz Joyce's Punch and Judy show. Punch and Judy is a show that began in England hundreds of years ago. People perform it all over the world today. I'm not quite that old. I saw the show about twelve years ago and loved it.

Me: What was the name and personality of your first glove puppet?
Brad: I made a puppet in college named Oatmeal because he was made from brown paper the color of oatmeal. He didn't really have his own personality, I used him in different stories and he would become the character the story needed.

Me: How do you prepare before a show?
Brad: I'll go through the show in my head to make sure I remember everything and all the puppets and props are set up where they need to be.

Me: How do you start creating your awesome characters for your puppet acts?
Brad: The idea comes first. I think of the story that I want to tell, and then I figure out what characters I need to make to tell it.

Me: Thanks for letting me interview you!
Brad: Thank you! I've never been interviewed by a monster before.

Now that you love glove puppets as much as I do, check out Clown Circus performed by Brad Shur this week: Wed, July 25th through Sat, 28th, performances as 10:30am and 1pm!  The show and all of the glove puppets are hand made by Paul Vincent Davis, and Brad brings the characters to life with silly voices and lots of laughs! See you at the theatre!

Love,


Bella Monster
Clown Circus by Paul Vincent Davis
Performed by Brad Shur, PST Artist in Residence
July 25th-28th | 10:30am & 1pm

My New Favorite Thing: Object Theatre!

Hi my beautiful friends!
Bella Monster here. Today I would like to tell you about my new favorite thing, OBJECT THEATRE! At first I didn't quite understand what it was. But after some research I fell in love with it. I know you will too. Take a look at my research. These videos are performances of object theatre. Lets watch them together! The first two are from Europe and the third is from the U.S. Dont worry, you dont have to cross an ocean to see object theatre you can see many shows like these at PST in Brookline, MA with me!





Wow! Object theatre involves every kind of puppetry and is where anything can come to life to tell a story. I'm a puppet and I thought I could only interact with other puppets like me. But an ordinary object could suddenly be my best friend. I can be friends with everything!? 

This amazes my furry little mind. What kinds of objects would you want to come to life? I will start by creating my own object theatre and making friends with everything I see. See you next Tuesday puppet fans to find out my next new favorite thing!

If you're interested in seeing a live object theatre show check out Snow White and Other Tales starting tomorrow at PST by Perry Alley Theatre!


Love,
Bella Monster

Snow White and Other Tales 
July 18, 2012 - July 21, 2012 

Vaction Week Continues at PST with "Turtle's New Home"

PST PREMIER!
"Turtle's New Home"
By Deborah Costine

Friday, April 22 |10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday, April 23 & 24 |1 p.m. & 3 p.m.

About the show: Blanding is an endangered turtle in search of a new habitat. Each spring she leaves her wetland and travels to a nearby sandy hill where she lays her eggs. When a new road is built between the wetland and the hill, what will she do? With the help from her friend Castor the Beaver she may just be able to fix her problems! Hand puppets.

Recommended for ages 4 and up.

"The children at the Wellesley Nursery School in the Hills were mesmerized by Deborah Costine's newly developed puppet show, Turtle's New Home. This creative and educational puppet show not only captures the childrens' interests but gives them very important information about making new friends, treasuring old friends and being respectful of animals within their habitats." -- Ginny Smith Alterio, Wellesley Nursery School, Pre-K

About performer: Debbie grew up in northern New Hampshire, graduated from Plymouth State College, and attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She taught puppetry at Northeastern University, Boston, Mass., Worcester State College and Plymouth State. She has conducted workshops in voice and sculpting at regional and national puppetry festivals. Her character voices are heard on the Verizon website (superthinkers.com). Deborah is the author of The Twig Family in the Oak Tree, a gentle nature story for young children. In 2008 she was a recipient for the Northeast Region of Puppeteers of America's Artistic Achievement Award. In 2009 she won the prestigious U.N.I.M.A. USA Citation for Excellence in Puppetry for her show, A Woodland Cinderella.

BUY TICKETS


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National Day of Puppetry, 2011, this Saturday!

NATIONAL DAY OF PUPPETRY
Saturday | April 23, 2011

The National Day of Puppetry was started in 1999 by the Puppeteers of America as a way to celebrate the art of puppetry. This year it will be held on Saturday April 23rd. Puppet Showplace Theatre, and the Boston Area Guild of Puppetry are teaming up with performers and presenters across the area to present a full day of fun puppetry events. Join us by attending any of the events below or by notifying us about your own puppetry performance by sending and email to artistic@puppetshowplace.org.

NEWS FLASH! Governor Deval Patrick has issued an official proclamation declaring April 23rd the Massachusetts Day of Puppetry! Join us on Boston Common at Noon on Saturday, April 23 to hear the proclamation read aloud in the company of giant puppets and Boston-area puppeteers.

2011 Massachusetts Day of Puppetry Schedule:

ALL DAY
Barnes & Noble Bookfair to benefit Puppet Showplace Theatre
Barnes & Noble, Prudential Center, Boston & bn.com

Looking for that great new book? Or a spot to grab a coffee after the Puppet Procession? Help support the Puppet Showplace Theatre while you shop! Stop by Barnes & Noble's Prudential Center Mall location and let any cashier know your are there to support Puppet Showplace Theatre on the National Day of Puppetry. Ten percent of your entire purchase will go to support the Mary Churchill Fund for undeserved children. Help us spread the magic of puppetry to everyone!

Can't make it to the store? You can still support the theatre when making purchases online! Just go to bn.com on April 23rd and use code 10447183 when ordering!
10:00AM - 11:00AM
Behind the Mask Studio and Theatre
6 Campbell Park Place, West Somerville, Davis Square T Stop (Red Line)

Visit the studio and see the magical creations of acclaimed mask-maker Eric Bornstein. Note: Behind the Mask welcomes visitors to borrow masks for the puppet procession. Participants will walk through Davis Square and travel by T to downtown Boston.
E-mail behindthemask1@gmail.com for more information.

10:00AM - 12:00PM
Families Creating Together Puppetry Arts Workshop
Nate Smith House, 155 Lamartine Street, Jamaica Plain, Stonybrook T Stop (Orange Line)

Spontaneous Celebrations Families Creating Together is a Visual Arts and Storytelling Program that welcomes and includes children/youth with disabilities, siblings, friends, parents/grandparents in a accessible setting. Workshops are in English and Spanish.
Call Ed Pazzanese for details: 617-524-6373.

10:30AM
Film: "The Never Ending Story" with introduction by Jon Little
The Coolidge Theatre, 290 Harvard Street, Brookline, Coolidge Corner T Stop (Green Line)

A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book. Featuring giant puppet characters. Featuring pre-show puppet introduction by local performer Jonathan Little of Little's Creatures.

NOON: PUPPET PARADE!
Puppet Procession on Boston Common and Reading of Governor Deval Patrick's "Massachusetts Day of Puppetry" Proclamation
Boston Public Gardens & Boston Common, Arlington & Park Street T Stops (Green Line)

Big puppets, little puppets, parade puppets and musicians all come together for a fantastic impromptu parade through Boston's Public Gardens and Boston Common, culminating outside the State House with a reading of the Governor's Proclamation announcing the Massachusetts Day of Puppetry! Featuring special guests Big Nazo (Providence, RI), Behind the Mask Studio and Theatre (Somerville, MA), The Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure Society Brass Band (Somerville, MA), and the Puppeteer's Cooperative (Boston, MA).

Note: in case of inclement weather, this event will be canceled.

Be a part of the parade! Volunteer performers will meet at 11:00 am at the entrance to the Taj Hotel, 15 Arlington Street, and proceed to the back alley entrance of the Boston Giant Puppet Lending Library. OR, volunteers can bring their own puppets and chart their own route through downtown Boston, arriving on Boston Common by noon. Help us create a "Pied Piper" effect and draw attention to the fine art of puppetry in downtown Boston!

1:00PM & 3:00PM
World Premier of Turtle's New Home by Deborah Costine, Puppeteer!
Puppet Showplace Theatre, 32 Station Street, Brookline, Brookline Village T Stop (Green Line)

About the Show: Blanding is an endangered turtle in search of a new habitat. Each spring she leaves her wetland and travels to a nearby sandy hill where she lays her eggs. When a new road is built between the wetland and the hill, what will she do? With the help from her friend Castor the Beaver she may just be able to fix her problems! Hand puppets.
Recommended for ages 4 and up.

BUY TICKETS


After this performance, families are encouraged to explore Massachusetts wildlife habitats at nearby Olmstead Park.

4:00PM - 6:00PM
Spontaneous Celebrations Open House
Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth Street, Jamaica Plain, Stonybrook T Stop (Orange Line)

From stilt-walking to mask-making, find out about how you can get involved in festival arts programming in your community! Visit Spontaneous Celebrations for more information.

5:00PM
"RETROSPECTACLE"
Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth Street, Jamaica PlainStonybrook T Stop (Orange Line)

Learn about the history of Spontaneous Celebrations in this spectacular puppet retrospective. Questions? Please contact our box office for more details about these and other upcoming events at 617-731-6400.

9:00PM
Puppet Showplace Theatre Late Night Muppet Movie Festival (Adult Event)
Puppet Showplace Theatre, 32 Station Street, Brookline| Brookline Village T Stop

Excerpts from old-school Muppet TV appearances will be followed by a screening of The Muppets Take Manhattan. Rocky-Horror-style crowd participation is welcome. Hosted by Jonathan Little of Little's Creatures. FREE with suggested donation for popcorn and puppet punch.

To learn more about getting involved with puppetry in the Greater Boston Area, please visit:
Puppet Showplace Theatre

Boston Area Guild of Puppetry


Incubator at PST, Tuesday. Where Great Ideas Are Hatched!

THIS WEEK AT PST
Incubator!
TUES | April 5 | 7pm to 9pm

About Incubator: Every other Tuesday, PST hosts a "drop-in" session where emerging artists, veteran puppeteers, teachers, and puppet enthusiasts gather to discuss and develop creative ideas in a casual, informal environment.

Here artists of all media and genres, experienced or not, can experiment with new puppetry ideas, materials and styles. It's a place where knowledge is shared, constructive critique is the norm, and collaborations are born. This event is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $5.

What's happening this week:
Quick and dirty puppets-Starting a new puppet project? Before you pour your heart and soul into crafting perfect puppets, you need to make sure everything works. In this session, we will learn several techniques for creating quick, simple practice puppets using inexpensive materials (paper, tape etc).

A Coat for Poverty- Brad Shur, Artist in Residence at the Puppet Showplace, will share a new part of a larger piece titled, "Magic Soup and Other Tales," based on Yiddish Folktales.

We will also be getting ready for the National Day of Puppetry, which is April 23rd.

Upcoming Incubators in 2011:

April 5, 19

May 3, 17, 31

June 14, 28
July 12, 26

August 9, 23

Click here for more info, call 617.731.6400, or email us at artistic@puppetshowplace.org with "incubator" in the subject.

Check us out on Facebook!