Month: October 2015

Galleries Closed for Exhibition Installation, November 2-13

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From November 2-13, 2015, Ballard Institute staff will be deinstalling our current exhibition “The Work That Follows: 50 Years of UConn Puppeteers” and installing our new exhibition “From Thought to Image: 30 Years of Sandglass Theater.”  While the main galleries at the Ballard Institute will be closed during this process, the museum will remain open during normal business hours, and our exhibit titled “The World of Puppetry: From the Collections of the Ballard Institute” will be on display in the lobby.

We  invite you to join us for the grand opening of From Thought to Image: 30 Years of Sandglass Theater on Saturday, November 14 at 4:30 p.m. at the Ballard Institute. The opening events will include two performances of Isidor’s Cheek by Ines Zeller Bass of Sandglass Theater, at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater.

“From Thought to Image: 30 Years of Sandglass Theater,” November 14, 2015-April 10, 2016

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This first-ever retrospective exhibition of work by the world-renowned Vermont-based puppet company co-directed by Eric Bass and Ines Zeller Bass features extraordinarily crafted puppets from ten different Sandglass productions dating from 1985 to the present. Including characters created by Eric Bass, Ines Zeller Bass, Jana Zeller, Dave Regan, Finn Campman, Matt Brooks and Coni Richards, the exhibition will trace Sandglass Theater’s development from such dreamlike pieces as Invitations to Heaven (1990) and The Village Child (1992) to stories strongly rooted in the recognizable Vermont world, such as Never Been Anywhere (1997) and All Weather Ballads (2010); and the profound contemplations of modern life in shows based on The Little Prince (Between Sand and Stars, 2005) and the life of renowned philosopher Walter Benjamin (One Way Street, 2002). In all these productions, the persistent metaphorical nature of the puppets remains a constant and compelling element of the work. The exhibition will be on display through April 10, 2016.

 

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Stevens Puppets, 10/30 at 7 p.m.

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The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut presents a special guest performance of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by the acclaimed Stevens Puppets of Indiana on Friday, October 30 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

In this silly and non-scary version of Washington Irving’s classic piece of literature, children of all ages will follow the lanky schoolmaster Ichabod Crane as he sings, dances, and falls in love with the giggly Katrina Van Tassel. Audiences will watch breathlessly as Katrina’s father Baltus and the village goofball Brom Bones try to run Ichabod out of town by telling him the tale of the Headless Horseman. The Stevens Puppets bring this ever-popular classic tale delightfully to life with beautiful wooden marionettes. The entire production is underscored by classical music, and a fun time will be had by all! The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was originally adapted for marionettes in 1965 by legendary puppeteer Martin Stevens. In 2000, Dan Raynor, one owner of Stevens Puppets, adapted the original script, and took it out on tour that same year.

Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Students: $8; Kids: $6

Tickets will be sold in advance through the Connecticut Repertory Theatre Box Office located in the lobby of the Nafe Katter Theatre at 820 Bolton Rd, Storrs CT 06269. Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office, by calling (860) 486-2113, or online at https://itkt.choicecrm.net/templates/UCRT/index.php?prod=bimp. A $3.00 surcharge will be added to any purchases made online or over the phone. Tickets may be purchased at the Ballard Institute on the days of performances. There will be a limited number of seats. For more information about this show, call (860) 486-8580.