The Boston Phoenix Loves PST!

As part of their annual Best Of... issue and website editorial, The Boston Phoenix has named the Puppet Showplace Theatre as its Best Way to Get Creeped Out by Puppets. What an honor! 

Make sure you check out the rest of their Best Of... picks and enjoy the rest of the best of Boston!

NEW 3/21 & 3/22 @ PST: Crabgrass Puppet Theatre's The Last Dragon on Earth!

The Puppet Showplace Theatre welcomes Crabgrass Puppet Theatre for two days (Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22) of performances of their show The Last Dragon on Earth.

Here's more about the show: For as long as anyone can remember, princes have fought dragons and rescued princesses. It's just the way things have always been done. But what happens when the princess doesn't need rescuing and the dragon is the very last one on Earth?

This modern fairy tale is a wonderful introduction to the concept of endangered species and is brought to life with Crabgrass Puppet Theatre's blend of beautiful puppets, fabulous scenery–full of caves and castles–and hysterically funny action.

Tickets are still available! Call the PST Box Office at (617) 731-6400 or purchase online.


The Last Dragon on Earth is recommended for ages 4 and up.


Please note this is a change in the schedule for the weekend from Jack and the Beanstalk by Spring Valley Puppets. If you've already purchased or reserved tickets for a Jack & the Beanstalk performance this weekend, a member of our Box Office staff will be in touch with you. Our apologies for any inconvenience, and we thank you for your understanding.

The Puppet Showplace Theatre looks forward to welcoming Spring Valley Puppets back to the stage on 5/2 and 5/3 for The Lazy Fox and Other Tales.

PuppetSLAM March 14th 8pm

Our next PuppetSLAM is Saturday March 14th at 8:00 pm. This SLAM is a combination of live puppetry performances and video productions. Featured artists for the evening include The Royal Frog Ballet and PBC Productions.

The Royal Frog Ballet presents "THE YEAR OF WANTING", A Very Small Shadow Show About The Depths Of Hell. This productions is a hand-cranked, candle-illuminated shadow show, based on the Greek myth of Persephone, and including elements from other winter myths and folktales. The Royal Frog Ballet is a collaboration of artists and alumni from Hampshire College, including co-directors Sarah Blackwell, Matt Lorenz and performer Sophie Wood.

PBC Productions shares their video production "Zombie Apocalypse". PBC Productions is a internet based video production company. Their work includes humorous shorts, fun video game reviews, and compelling documentaries. Most notable of these documentaries is "Puppet Rampage" which captured the 2007 Puppeteers of America National Festival at Concordia University. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvpeOszd3Yo

Happy Presidents' Day

What better way to celebrate President's Day than with finger puppets?  

We found this great kids' activity at kaboose.com.  

What you'll need:

-Blue and black construction paper
-Cellophane tape
-Lincoln-head penny
-Washington-head quarter
-Scissors

How to make it:

1. Cut two three-inch squares, one from each of the construction sheet colors.
2. Roll each square into a tube that will slip over your finger.  Secure the roll with tape.
3. To make the Lincoln puppet, tape the penny to the black paper tube at roughly an inch below the top.
4. Cut a thin rectangle from the black paper for the hat brim.  Tape the brim along the top of the head.
5. To make the Washington puppet, tape the quarter to the top of the blue paper tube.
6. Cut a one and a half inch square from the blue paper for the hat.
7. fold the square in half, corner to corner, making a triangle.
8. Cut a slit out of the center fold of the square to make an opening.  Once again fold the square in half, this time folding the opposite corner to corner, making a triangle.
9. Slip the hat over the top of the tube finger puppet.
10. Tape both halves of the triangle together.

Tip:

Dress them up by adding details to the puppets using collage materials.  You might want to add a gold sequin medallion to Washington's hat, for example, and some white doily paper to the chin for a lace collar.  For Lincoln, try adding a shirt collar made from white paper, and some buttons.

Critters & Creatures video

For footage of Larry Hunt's performance of Critters & Creatures, please enjoy this sample of shows presented at Puppet Showplace Theatre.  Critters is the last show on the video.

Larry Hunt of Masque Theatre at PST 2/16 & 2/17

The Puppet Showplace welcomes Larry Hunt of Masque Theatre as part of our Winter School Vacation Week lineup, with performances of Hunt's Critters & Creatures on Monday, February 16th and Tuesday, February 17th. Shows are at 1pm and 3pm both days.

For more information about the show, visit our Family Show calendar on the Puppet Showplace website.

Tickets are still available, though performances often sell out in advance. Tickets can be purchased in person at our box office, over the phone by calling (617) 731-6400, or through our online ticket service.

To learn more about Larry Hunt and his background as a maskmaker and performer, click to watch the video below.

Bread and Puppet Theater Return to Boston

Beginning January 26th and running through February 1st the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) presents the Bread and Puppet Theater’s Sourdough Philosophy Spectacle & Circus. Performances, Art Exhibit, and Cheap Art Sale all held in the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama, 539 Tremont St., South End, Boston. For advance tickets, log onto www.theatermania.com or call 866-811-4111.

Back by popular demand, the award-winning Bread and Puppet Theater, featuring Artistic Director Peter Schumann and his troupe of 8 Vermont puppeteers, returns for a third year to the Cyclorama bringing their signature powerful imagery, masked characters, and giant papier-mâché puppets. The Bread and Puppet touring company, for this residency at the Cyclorama, includes Schumann, along with Danny McNamara, Maura Gahan, Greg Corbino, Diana Sette, Maryann Colella, Federica Collina, Cavan Meese, and Susie Perkins.

The Bread and Puppet Theater is an internationally recognized company that champions a visually rich, street-theater brand of performance art that is filled with music, dance and slapstick. Their shows are political and spectacular, with huge puppets made of papier-maché and cardboard, a brass band for accompaniment, and anti-elitist singing and dance. Most are morality plays — about how people act toward each other — whose prototype is "Everyman." There are puppets of all kinds and sizes, masks, sculptural costumes, paintings, buildings and landscapes that seemingly breathe with Schumann's distinctive visual style of dance, expressionism, dark humor and low-culture simplicity.

Happy New Year from PST!

The Puppet Showplace Theatre will be closed December 31st and January 1st. This does not mean that you will have a week without puppets. We encourage you to buy your First Night buttons to see some of our regular performers. This year we have performers presenting in three local cities Boston, Worcester, and Providence.

Our performers in Boston are Galapagos Puppets, The Gerwick Puppets, Magpie Puppets and our friends Wayne Martin Puppets, Dan Butterworth Marionettes and the Puppeteers Cooperative. For more info visit www.firstnight.org

Our performer in Worcester is Sylvia and the Magic Trunk. If you missed her at PST on December 28th this is your opportunity to see her. For more info visit www.firstnightworcester.org.

Our performer in Providence is Sparky’s Puppets and our friends Big Nazo. For more info visit www.brightnight.org.

Have a safe and fun evening and we will see you in 2009!!

November 26th Tanglewood Marionettes Present "The Dragon King" at 10:30 am

For the Thanksgiving Holiday week we will be presenting the Tanglewood Marionettes newest production "The Dragon King" Nov 26th at 10:30 am, Nov 28th, 29th & 30th at 1 pm & 3 pm.

Please note November 26th was originally "Raccoon Tales" and has been changed to "The Dragon King". "The Dragon King" is recommended for ages 3 & up. For complete show description http://puppetshowplace.org/showdesc/nov29.html

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!

This Weekend at Puppet Showplace: "A Woodland Cinderella"

Deborah Costine's
"A Woodland Cinderella"
Saturday November 15th &
Sunday November 16th
1PM & 3PM

In this original version of Cinderella, the story takes place in the land of the Woodland Fairies. The King of all Woodland Fairies wants his son to marry a fairy princess, but they are very rare. So the King hosts a great ball and commands that every single young fairy maiden in the land must attend. He is hoping that the missing fern fairy princess will come, and he knows the secret to identifying a true fairy princess. Will he find her? Come and find out.

Buy Tickets

Recommended for ages 3 and up.

Buy Show Tickets Online Now!

We're pleased to announce that we're now offering online ticket sales through the Puppet Showplace website. Don't worry – you can still make telephone reservations and visit our box office to purchase tickets, but with this new option, you now have the option to make your plans and purchase tickets when it's convenient for you – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Just remember to bring the printout of your tickets with you to the show!

Try it now:

Ballot Question 1

This November's elections will be historic, for the nation and our state.  On Massachusetts' ballot is Question 1, which would repeal the personal income tax.  Currently, income tax provides for 40% of the state's budget.  Should this 40% no longer be available, the state would be faced with drastic funding cuts for services including education, public safety, health and emergency care, infrastructure, and arts and culture.

Before voting, please consider the impact Arts and Culture have on our community.  According to the Massachusetts Cultural Council's website:

Annually, MA cultural non-profits provide 37,000 jobs, collect and pay $6.6 million in state sales taxes, and have a total economic impact of over $4.2 billion.

Nearly 95% of MA voters see the arts as a basic part of a child's education, as basic as English and Math.

Students highly engaged in the arts do better in school and are more involved in their communities.  

Workers trained in the arts and culture drive MA's leading industries, including software development, telecommunications, and new media industries.

Among the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, those with high levels of cultural participation are more likely to have low rates of juvenile delinquency and truancy.

Please investigate the impact of arts and culture on our state by visiting:

Massachusetts Cultural Council

Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities

The Boston Foundation

New England Foundation for the Arts

Coming October 25th: Gerwick Puppets' 5,000th Performance!

PST is excited to welcome Deborah Costine and Len Gerwick of Gerwick Puppets to the Puppet Showplace Halloween Extravaganza on October 25th and 26th. They will perform "Inside the Haunted House" at 1pm and 3pm, Saturday and Sunday. Deborah and Len will also present a special show at 7pm Saturday night that will mark the 5,000th performance of Gerwick Puppets!

Here's a special video from MetroWestDailyNews.com all about Gerwick Puppets:

"Inside the Haunted House" features Bruce and Marylou, two friends who accept a dare from the neighborhood bully to explore an abandoned mansion. Disguised as ghosts, they slowly creep inside, unaware of all that awaits them!

This funny and spooky original story features 15 characters, hand-painted scenery, recorded music, props and special lighting effects, combined for a realistic tone.

The show is recommended for ages 5 and up.

More Reasons to Attend the PST Halloween Extravaganza:

• Come in costume and receive a special prize!

• Stay for treats after the show!

Puppet Showplace Halloween Extravaganza

Inside The Haunted House by Gerwick Puppets

Saturday October 25th & Sunday October 26th | 1pm & 3pm

Tickets $10 general admission/$8 members
Reservations are strongly recommended!

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

Farewell, Summer

It's nearly that time again! We will be closed for our yearly maintenance from September 1st through the 15th.

Be sure to catch our last show of the summer, The Twig Family, at 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM on Wednesday, August 27th and Thursday, August 28th.

In this original story by longtime puppeteer/artist Deborah Costine, the audience meets The Twig Family: Leaf, Fern and their daughter Mossy, who live in an oak tree in harmony with nature. Also in the tree are Robin and Baby Bird, Hyla the tree frog, and Gray Squirrel.
In this happy, gentle story, recommended for ages 4 and up, we learn about nature, living simply and confronting our fears.

Don't miss it!

Don't miss the perfect Summertime Puppet Show!

On Wednesday & Thursday, August 13 & 14 at 10:30 & 1:00, Len Gerwick of the Gerwick Puppets presents The Case of the Missing Woodpile. Also on Sunday, August 17 at 1:00.

Marylou and Bruce star in this musical mystery and are busy with all sorts of summer activities. Marylou builds a chicken coop, while Bruce builds a tree house, but along the way, the woodpile disappears! All the puppets, as well as the audience, have to help solve the mystery! Jon Klein, an instructor at Berklee College of Music, wrote the fun and gentle jazz score. You'll leave the show singing songs about summertime fun, peanut butter and applesauce! Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Summer puppet shows are hot on the radar

Looking for something to do with the kids during these, hot, muggy or rainy days? Interested in exposing them to live theatre? Why not see one of our diverse puppet shows? What a great way to spend the morning or afternoon. Tickets are going fast and shows have been selling out in advance so don't wait! Call the Box Office to get tickets and don't get stuck in the rain.



On July 30 & 31, Magpie Puppets presents Leopard Learns a Lesson
at 10:30 and 1:00. SOLD OUT shows include both 10:30 performances, as well as Wednesday's 1:00.





On August 6 & 7 Barefoot Puppets presents Galapagos George
at 10:30 and 1:00. SOLD OUT performances include Wednesday & Thursday's 10:30 performances, as well as Wednesday's 1:00.

Mask performance July 16 & 17!

Critters & Creatures by Larry Hunt
Masks and puppets are "very good friends" - see why in Critters and Creatures! Through the amazing use of masks, artist Larry Hunt transforms himself into a puppy, pig, rat, lemur, old man, silly fellow named Quincy, and even his own son. Critters and Creatures is a playful show with whimsical music, movement and dance, as well as interesting facts about masks and their history. Are you a critter, or a creature? Come and find out! Recommended for ages 5 and up. Shows at 10:30am & 1pm

Come Play At The Puppet Showplace!

Greetings, friends of the Showplace!

Do your children like playing with puppets?
Are you looking for a way to pass a Friday or Saturday afternoon?
Do you want to help the Showplace develop future educational programming?

Then come play with us next week!

To help with the development of possible future workshops and playgroups at the
PST, we will be holding two sessions from 2-4 PM on either Friday the 18th and
Saturday the 19th (you may choose one or the other). The afternoon will be
spent playing, improvising, exploring, making puppets and having fun. This is
free of charge; all you need to bring is a little snack and a 4-7-year old
who's ready to have fun.

An RSVP is preferred so we can be sure to have enough materials. For more
information, e-mail Emily at boxoffice@puppetshowplace.org or call
617-731-6400.

We look forward to seeing you!

Happy Fourth of July!

The Puppet Showplace wishes everyone a Happy Independence Day! Join us on Sunday, July 6 at 1:00 for Cinderella, A Woodland Fairy Princess by Deborah Costine.
You will be intrigued by the tree puppet stage, made of paper mache and enchanted by Cinderella, whom may be the missing fern fairy princess the prince has been waiting to meet.



Love The Muppets? Check out their Stars & Stripes Forever ( Muppet's Variation)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDA9NbPAK8o