Learn more about Puppetry with Brad and Paul

There are still spots available in our intro to puppetry class beginning August 4th. Join us, and you'll learn about construction, performance, and the history and breadth of the art of puppetry!

The class meets in three sessions, August 4th, 11th, and 18th, from 7-9:30pm at the showplace.

To sign up, visit our page at Brookline Community Education.

Puppets Around the Web: Forgotten Muppets

We've spent a lot of time watching Sesame Street. And we bet you have too, either as a parent or growing up as a kid.

Remember Leo the Party Monster? No? Neither did we.

Which is why we were excited to find Ryan Roe's post on Tough Pigs: "7 Sesame Muppets I Never Thought I'd See Before There Was YouTube."

And though he's not a Muppet, be sure to check out the last clip of Mr. Roger's visit to the Sesame neighborhood.

Improvements to Puppetshowplace.org Coming

We plan on making a number of changes to our website over the next few months. The big goal is to make the site more intuitive to navigate and show information more accessible. Smaller goals include adding more relevant video, updating our home page with more frequency, and providing our schedules and other printed pieces for download.

We don't expect this project to be completed until early summer 2011, but we've already taken steps to make information easier to find on our current site: our August 2010 schedule — with show descriptions and age recommendations — is ready and available for download in PDF form on our homepage!

Take a look: Puppet Showplace Theatre homepage

Join Our Family

Love puppets? Want to work with them every day? Then join us as a member of our team.

The Puppet Showplace Theatre is currently seeking a full-time Box Office Manager to lead the daily business operations of this 36-year-old performing arts organization.

The Box Office Manager ensures public access to our weekly performances by selling tickets, booking private performances and groups, assisting audiences, managing staff and volunteers, and maintaining the professional appearance and cleanliness of the theatre, lobby, and office spaces.

Click here for a complete position description. To apply, send cover letter and resume in Word or PDF format to executive@puppetshowplace.org. No phone calls, please.

More About... National Marionette Theatre

NATIONAL MARIONETTE THEATRE 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 audiences around the world with their extraordinary productions for over forty years. 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. The company has received critical acclaim both here in the United States and abroad and was the first American Marionette Theater to receive the prestigious UNIMA award for excellence in puppetry.



More About... Hansel & Gretel

The story of Hansel and Gretel has captured the imagination of audiences for generations. In National Marionette Theatre's newest production, two master puppeteers bring the most famous of the Grimm Brother’s stories to life. Featuring exquisitely crafted marionettes, scrolling scenery and the beautiful music of Engelbert Humperdinck, Hansel and Gretel is sure to delight audiences of all ages!

BUY TICKETS

Wed, July 14 @ 10:30 AM
Wed, July 14 @ 1:00 PM
Wed, July 15 @ 10:30 AM
Wed, July 15 @ 1:00 PM

More About... Margaret Moody and Galapagos Puppet Theater

This weekend come cool down or stay dry - depending on what the weather does - at the Puppet Showplace Theatre and enjoy a very special performance of The Monkey King (aka Monkey Wreaks Havoc in Heaven) by Margaret Moody of Galapagos Puppet Theater.

Galapagos Puppet Theater is comprised of Madeleine Beresford & Margaret Moody and includes of a multitude of characters who acts as windows into folktales, fantasies, and historical stories. They perform with hand, rod and life-sized puppets. Galapagos was founded in 1987 and is named for the Galapagos Islands, a habitat for many peaceful and unusual creatures.
They have studied with Taiwan’s master puppeteer Li Tien-lu and his I Wan Jan troupe, and use traditional Chinese puppets and choreography in several shows bringing a love of history and heritage all of their performances.

Galapagos has performed at many venues in the Northeast, including at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and the American Museum of Natural History and this Sunday we are happy to welcome Margaret Moody with her solo performance of The Monkey King to Brookline Village.


The Monkey King -The magical Monkey King makes mischief in the Heavens, eating all of the Jade Emperor's peaches and Lao-tze's elixirs. Traditional music arranged by Kevin and Rose Zhen. Performed with traditional Chinese hand puppets and intricate choreography.

BUY TICKETS

Sunday, July 11 @1PM

Happy 4th of July!

You may have seen this before, but it still makes us laugh.

Come by and join us for our own show on the Fourth: Brad Shur's "Raccoon Tales" at 1:00pm

A Summer of Puppet Fun!

Please note that our performance schedule has changed for the months of July and August. During the Summer we will be hosting 5 performances per week; Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM, Sundays at 1:00 PM. The Puppet Showplace Theatre Box Office will be closed on Mondays and Saturdays throughout the Summer. Tickets can always be purchased online here.

And don't miss a special July 4th performance of Raccoon Tales by Brad Shur!

Puppets Around the Web: For you 'Star Wars' fans

Yea, we consider it a puppet. In fact, we hear that there was even a puppet or two in the original 'Star Wars' movies - you know, the days before computer cartoon characters.

Wrap up report of the O'Neill conference

My week at the O'Neill Puppetry Conference was so packed with puppetry, that there wasn't a spare moment to update you on all the wonderful goings-on. But now, with the conference behind me, I can give the full scoop.

Roxie, Jon Little and myself got to participate in three separate tracks of the conference. I'll let them fill the readers in on the Video Anarchy and the Flock Theatre facets of the conference.

Myself, I participated in the ensemble production. This year was a special one, the 20th anniversary of the conference. In honor of the occasion, we created a show using one puppet from each year of the conference so far. These ranged from marionettes to masks to a Muppet (yes, an actual practice Muppet from the Henson Company, from the first year of the conference). 20 performers and three directors worked together to create one show that would bring all of these very different puppets together.

Besides that project, the conference hosted master classes every day with experts in writing, movement, and other facets for creating a show, as well as celebrity guests like Noel MacNeal from Bear in the Big Blue House, and Kathy Mullen from Fraggle Rock (both have worked on a number of Henson and other puppet productions).

Conference goers also created about two dozen participant projects, short puppet performances created entirely that week.

To name all the names of the amazing people who attended, taught and facilitated that week would take pages. Let me just say that I was surrounded by folks, both staff and participants, who were not just incredibly talented, but also incredibly open and eager to share their knowledge and skills. By the end of the week, I was exhausted by the almost impossibly full schedule but also excited about everything I had seen and learned.

Boston's other Green Monster

Our buddy, Jon Little, takes his friend out for a day on the town. Check out Jon at littlescreatures.com.

More About... Our July/August postcard!

Can you recognize all of our July and August performers? There are 17 in total, and 18 shows! Over the next eight weeks, we'll be highlighting a new performer every few days, close to their performance days. Here's a handy key to all of our performers this summer at Puppet Showplace Theatre!



1. "Galapagos George" by Barefoot Puppets (8/11 & 8/12)
2. "The Carrot Salesman" by Brad Shur (8/25 & 8/26)
3. "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" by Pumpernickel Puppets (8/1)
4. "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Spring Valley Puppet Theater (7/21 & 7/22)
5. "Everybody Loves Pirates" by Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers (8/18 & 8/19)
6. "Leopard Learns a Lesson" by Magpie Puppets (8/4 & 8/5)
7. "Hansel & Gretel" by National Marionette Theater (7/14 & 7/15)
8. "The Case of the Missing Woodpile" by The Gerwick Puppets (6/30 & 7/1)
9. "The Firebird" by The Puppet People - PST PREMIERE! (8/29)
10. "Wizards and Knights" by Theatre of Life Puppets starring Sammy Snail (7/28 & 7/29)
11. "The Brave Little Tailor" by Lionheart Puppet Company - PST PREMIERE! (7/25)
12. "The Twig Family" by Deborah Costine, Puppeteer! (7/18)
13. "Raccoon Tales" by Brad Shur (7/4, 7/7, & 7/8)
14. "Here Come the Clowns!" by Brad Shur (8/15)
15. "The Monkey King" by Galapagos Puppets (7/11)
16. "The Three Pigs and Other Tales" by Deborah Costine, Puppeteer! (8/22)
17. "The Little Red Hen" by Lionheart Puppet Company (8/8)

Puppets on NPR

Hi PST fans!

I just arrived back in Boston after a week at the National Puppetry Conference. It was wonderful to bump into so many accomplished artists from across the country and talk up our programming in Boston. Stay tuned for news of upcoming performances by out-of-towners and emerging artists!

Today, NPR ran a story about the conference as part of Weekend Edition. Check it out! And see you at the Showplace!

Roxie

Her Heroes Have Always Been Puppets

Our very own Roxie Myhrum, PST's Artistic Director, was featured in the Globe this Thursday!

Andreae Downs' article highlights Roxie as the newest addition to our family and the role she'll play in the years to come. We're proud to have Roxie join us - her experience with a variety of theatre genres will certainly strengthen the programs we offer.

Please check out the article on boston.com. And come check out our upcoming shows - you may even meet Roxie while you're here.

Show your Brookline pride and help support local nonprofits!

These t-shirts are available only at Village Green Renewal in Brookline Village, just up the street and around the corner from the Puppet Showplace Theatre. Profits will go to benefit 12 selected Brookline nonprofits – one each month – including PST in December 2010!

Showplace fun at the Eugene O'Neill National Puppetry Conference!

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re getting psyched for Summer at Puppet Showplace! We’ll be changing up our schedule with the start of July (more on that soon!) This week we welcome to the Showplace Lionheart Puppets with The Reluctant Dragon, followed by Nappy’s Puppets with Father Goose Tales. Get your tickets today!

I had the great fortune of seeing Nappy perform last night in an outdoor amphitheatre under the stars at the (regional Tony award-winning!) Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center where I’m currently attending the National Puppetry Conference (it just so happens that the conference is also where I met Matt Leonard of Lionheart Puppets for the first time!).

This year, PST Artist in Residence Brad Shur, PuppetSLAM Emcee Jon Little, and I are all here learning from master puppeteers drawn from all over the world. We’re also hard at work on new projects that will be presented at the end of the week (if you happen to be in Waterford, CT come check them out!). While we’re here, we’re also promoting the Showplace to puppet artists from all across America—thanks to all of our current family (Nappy, Michael Graham) and SLAM performers (Z. Briggs, Jones, Carole D'Augustino) for talking up the theatre as a great place to perform!

Stay tuned for announcements of our upcoming SLAM season, and more news from Jon and Brad about their experiences at the O’Neill!

Roxie (artistic@puppetshowplace.org)

Join Our Board

The Puppet Showplace Theatre is seeking energetic professionals to serve on our Board of Trustees and shape the future of this wonderful organization.

We are looking for individuals with a passion for performing arts and experience in any of the following:

• Governance
• Marketing and Promotions
• Theatre and Arts Administration
• Education
• Fundraising and Development

As you may know, the Puppet Showplace Theatre (PST) is a Brookline based institution that has been serving the community for over 36 years. PST is New England's only year-round, non-profit theatre devoted to the art of puppetry, and one of very few local organizations that provides ongoing programs for young children and their families.

PST is currently in the process of implementing a three-year strategic plan and will be revising our by-laws during the summer months. We've seen considerable growth over the past several years thanks in part to the enthusiasm of our talented staff, board, and puppeteers, as well as the support of the community.

Trustees play an active role in shaping the theatre's direction and represent a broad cross-section of the community. Each Trustee spends on average 8-10 hours each month addressing Puppet Showplace Theatre matters. There are approximately 6 board meetings each year, generally on weekday evenings. Trustees provide direct support through participation on committees and are responsible for fundraising efforts. Prior board experience is beneficial, but not required.

Please contact Kris Higgins, Executive Director, at executive@puppetshowplace.org to learn more about this opportunity.

Puppet Showplace Theatre in the news!

There's always a lot going on at the Puppet Showplace Theatre, from our family shows, to memorable birthday parties, to performances from our friends Kitsch in Sync, to other special shows like Ole Lukoie's Magic Winglets.

In the middle of all these great things is our great new Artistic Director, Roxanna Myhrum. Roxanna joins us with nearly twelve years of puppetry, theatre, and opera direction and dramaturge experience. Look for a full profile and photo in the Boston Globe later this week! In the meantime, check out this great profile from Boston.com:

A new hand pulls the strings at Brookline puppet theater - Boston.com

In other PST news, local mask maker Eric Bornstein has been profiled by the Boston Globe. In addition to the article, there's a great image gallery of Eric's work at his shop, Behind the Mask. And if you want to see more of Eric's creations, just look up when you're in our lobby – our four, larger-than-life hummingbirds came from Eric's workshop!

Mask man Eric Bornstein makes magic with paint, papier-mache, and endless imagination - The Boston Globe

Ole Lukoie Puppets Presents Magic Winglets

The Puppet Showplace welcomes a special international guest performer to our theatre this week. Master Puppeteer Alexey Shishov of St. Petersburg, Russia has designed a show especially for Boston audiences that draws on the dreamlike storytelling tradition of Oje Lukoie (the Sandman). Performed in English by Brookline community members Olga Pinson and Helen Cherkasova, this adaptation of Thumbelina features table top puppets and projected animations.

Performances will take place at the Puppet Showplace Theatre;
5/27 at 6:00 PM
5/28 at 5:00 PM

Tickets for this performance are not available through the Puppet Showplace Theatre Box Office. Tickets can be purchased directly from Ole Lukoie Puppets online. They will also be selling tickets at the door.

Purchase Tickets

Behind The Mask Upcoming Events

Puppets and masks share common ancestry. And so we're excited to share with you some upcoming events of Behind The Mask, a performance troupe directed by long-time friend and PST board member Eric Bornstein.

May 24 through June 30
Mask Exhibit
Porter Square at the Porter Square Mall, CVS Window
Visit the Cambridge Arts Council's website for more info.

Opening June 2
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Plaza Theater at the Boston Center for the Arts
We proudly annouce our collaboration with Contemporary Theater of Boston, under the direction of Chris Cavalier, in a non-traditional adaptation journeying into the mysterious dream world of love, desire, and fiendish faeries. Featuring masks and costumes designed and created by Behind The Mask Studio

June 5
Cambridge River Festival
Behind The Mask Studio has created a tribute procession for the beloved storyteller Brother Blue, complete with giant puppets and a butterfly bonanza!
Behind The Mask will also put on an exhibition & workshop, with a performance of the story “The Woman Who Outshone The Sun”
Please visit http://www.cambridgema.gov/CAC/Community/river.cfm for more details.

Through June 9
Illustration of the Imagination: Masks by Four Contemporary Artists
Heftler Visiting Artist Gallery, Center For the Arts, Endicott College, 376 Hale St, Beverly, MA
Please visit http://www.endicott.edu/centerforthearts for more information.

Also, be sure to check out the Cambridge River Festival posters in the MBTA featuring the work of Behind The Mask Studio!