The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host its first-ever Fall Puppet Performance Series on four Saturdays from September to December 2014, featuring outstanding works for puppet theater by professional puppeteers from the Northeast. There will be two showings of each production, at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., in the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center. Productions and dates include:
September 27: Punschi, an enchanting performance for the whole family featuring hand puppets and a miniature circus, by Sandglass Theater in collaboration with Jana Zeller and Shoshana Bass.
Adults: $10; Students: $7; Kids: $5
October 25: The Selfish Giant, by Chicago puppeteer Blair Thomas and singer/songwriter Michael Smith, who use original puppets and music to tell the story of this Oscar Wilde classic about a grumpy old giant and the children of his village who rejuvenate his garden. Special performance in conjunction with the gala opening of Stages of Enchantment: The Little Puppet Theaters of Blair Thomas & Company.
Adults: $12; Students: $8; Kids: $6
November 15: Shadows around the World, a production by famed Connecticut puppet master Jim Napolitano focusing on global history, oral traditions of storytelling, and the international development of shadow puppetry as an art form.
Adults: $10; Students: $7; Kids: $5
December 13: Lava Fossil, by Beth Nixon, a suitcase-theater show about a dad, a crab, a dentist, and where things go when they are gone. Plus! The secret life of eel grass, an ash-encrusted visitor from Pompeii, and how to measure grief with a ruler. Recommended for children aged 11 and above due to show content.
Adults: $10; Students: $7; Kids: $5
Tickets will be sold through the Connecticut Repertory Theatre Box Office located in the lobby of the Nafe Katter Theatre.