Month: September 2016

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Stevens Puppets on 10/2 at 2 p.m.

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Wicks, Emily

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 Sunday, October 2 at 2 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 story, children of all ages 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, co-owner of Stevens Puppets, adapted the original script, and took it out on tour that same year.

Stevens Puppets was founded in 1933 by the Peabody-Award-winning Martin Stevens, pre-eminent American puppeteer and a founder of the Puppeteers of America. With his wife, Margi, Mr. Stevens created ground-breaking touring marionette shows. Dan and Zan Raynor, the owners, have been with Stevens Puppets for over 20 years, each coming from live-theater backgrounds of acting and directing. Dan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater and Zan holds a Master of Theology with a doctorate in Canon Law. Dan has taught theater at the Northwest Arkansas Academy of Fine Arts and directed professionally for theaters in several states. He has performed with and directed many professional musicians like Neil Young and Huey Lewis, and acted professionally with many theater companies in California. In addition to performing on stage as an actor and dancer, Zan has directed high school and college theater programs, and designed lights, costumes, and choreography for numerous theater companies in the Midwest and Northeast. Zan has taught every level of school, from Montessori preschool through university classes. The Raynors divide their time between studio artwork, both original and restoration, training other performing artists, managing complex tours, and performing all around the country at schools, libraries, festivals, and fairs.

Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Students: $8; Kids: $6 (12 years and under).

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by phone at 860.486.8580, or online at http://bimp.ticketleap.com/. A surcharge will be added to any purchases made online. Tickets may also be purchased at the Ballard Institute on the day of performance starting at 10 a.m. There will be a limited number of seats. For more information about these performances, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860.486.8580.

Fall Puppet Forum: “The Future of Puppetry at UConn” on 10/12 at 7 p.m.

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Wicks, Emily

As part of the 2016 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with acclaimed UConn Puppet Arts Program Director Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr. and alumni of the UConn Puppet Arts Program entitled The Future of Puppetry at UConn on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Over the past 50 years, UConn’s Puppet Arts Program has played a major role in shaping the nature of American and international puppetry. What will the next 50 years bring to the world of puppetry, and how can UConn best prepare its students to make substantial contributions to the future? Join Puppet Arts Program director Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr. and celebrated UConn puppetry alumni in a compelling discussion about the future of puppetry and UConn’s role in it. Puppeteer and voice-over artist Pam Arciero is well known for her work on Sesame Street as Grundgetta, but is also the Artistic Director of the O’Neill Puppetry Conference. Rob Saunders is Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Animax Designs, which develops high-quality animatronics and puppet characters for the theme park and attractions industries.

Upcoming 2016 Fall Puppet Forums include:

November 16: Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press, with Max Schumann (Printed Matter) and Clare Dolan (Museum of Everyday Life)

December 7: Making Marionette Theater with Frank Ballard, with Steven Brezzo (Opar, Inc.), Fred Thompson (Eugene O’Neill Theater Center), and Steve Abrams (Editor, Puppetry Journal)

Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. Come early, and experience our puppet exhibitions, as well as the video resources in our library nook. Forums will be broadcast via Facebook Live. Visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860.486.8580 for more information.

“The Pirate, the Princess and the Pea” by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre on 9/24 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Wicks, Emily

As part of its Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present The Pirate, the Princess and the Pea by UConn alumni Jamie Keithline and Bonny Hall of Crabgrass Puppet Theatre on Saturday, September 24, 2016. There will be two showings, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., in the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs, CT.

The Pirate, the Princess and the Pea is a swashbuckling adventure about friendship and cooperation, a thrilling voyage chock full of sea monsters, shipwrecks, and mistaken pirate/princess identities. A pirate and a princess are on a treasure hunt, searching for the same clues. The princess stays one step ahead by tricking the pirate at every turn. But when they face danger together, they find that friendship is the best treasure of all. Featuring colorful scenery, multiple styles of puppetry, and original pirate songs, you won’t want to miss the boat on this fun adventure tale!

Crabgrass Puppet Theatre was founded in 1982 by Jamie Keithline and Bonny Hall, who met as UConn students in 1979 and have been working together ever since. They began their company in San Francisco, and now live near Brattleboro, Vermont. Their performing venues have included the World Trade Center, The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Paper Mill Playhouse, the Smithsonian, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. They have created 25 full-length productions, performed at numerous regional, national, and international puppet festivals, and have been awarded two UNIMA Citations of Excellence.

Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Students: $8; Kids: $6 (12 years and under)

Buy Tickets

Ticketing Software by Ticketleap

UConn School of Fine Arts Student Short Film Festival, 9/23-9/25

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Wicks, Emily

UConn’s Theatre Studies Program, Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, Digital Media & Design Department, Department of Art and Art History, and the Dean’s Office of the School of Fine Arts will present the first-ever UConn School of Fine Arts Student Short Film Festival from Friday, September 23 through Sunday, September 25 at von der Mehden Recital Hall located on UConn’s Main Campus at 875 Coventry Road, Storrs CT 06269. Admission to this event is free.

The newly created UConn School of Fine Arts Student Short Film Festival will present works by cutting-edge young filmmakers enrolled at the University of Connecticut. The categories include animation, short fiction, and documentary films. On the final night, a reception will be held in the lobby of von der Mehden Recital Hall after the screening.

The three-day schedule includes:

Friday, September 23, 7:00 p.m.: Animation Films, including both shorts and animated storytelling, and short-shorts and animated experiments. The screening will feature commentary by UConn faculty members and a post-screening talkback.

Saturday, September 24, 7:00 p.m.: Short Fiction Films, including films related to the themes of cause and effect and wander and seek. The screening will feature commentary by UConn faculty members and a post-screening talkback.

Sunday, September 25, 6:00 p.m.: Documentary Films, including works that reflect on personal identity and identity in the UConn community, as well as UConn faculty member Alison Paul’s new film “Equinox.” The screenings will feature commentary by UConn faculty members and post-screening talkbacks. After these events, we invite attendees to stay for a reception in the lobby of von der Mehden Recital Hall.

For more information about the festival, screening times, and scheduled presentations, see sfa.uconn.edu/sfa-film-festival or contact Robyn Genzano at robyn.genzano@uconn.edu.

Fall Puppet Forum: “Puppetry, Performance, and the Scale of Things” with Theodora Skipitares on 9/14

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Wicks, Emily

As part of the 2016 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with acclaimed New York puppeteer Theodora Skipitares entitled Puppetry, Performance, and the Scale of Things on Wednesday, September 14 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Visual artist, director, and puppeteer Theodora Skipitares has been creating evocative and spectacular works of puppet and object performance for over 25 years. Trained as a sculptor and theater designer, she combined these two art forms to develop such award-winning puppet productions as The Age of Invention, A Harlot’s Progress, Trilogy, and most recently, Six Characters. In her presentation Skipitares will elaborate upon her processes of creation, the interdisciplinary influences on her work, and the dramatic variety of puppets she creates, ranging from the massive to the miniature.

Upcoming 2016 Fall Puppet Forums include:

October 12: The Future of Puppetry at UConn, with Pam Arciero (Sesame Street), Stephen Kaplin (Chinese Theatre Works), and Rob Saunders (Animax Designs), moderated by Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr.

November 16: Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press, with Max Schumann (Printed Matter) and Clare Dolan (Museum of Everyday Life)

December 7: Making Marionette Theater with Frank Ballard, with Steven Brezzo (Opar, Inc.), Fred Thompson (Eugene O’Neill Theater Center), and Steve Abrams (Editor, Puppetry Journal)

Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. Come early, and experience our puppet exhibitions, as well as the video resources in our library nook. Visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860.486.8580 for more information.

2016 UConn Fall Puppet Slam

Posted on September 2, 2016July 20, 2021 by Wicks, Emily

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and the UConn Puppet Arts Program will present the 2016 UConn Fall Puppet Slam on Saturday, September 17 at 8:00 p.m. in UConn’s Studio Theatre. The UConn Fall Puppet Slam will feature short works by professional puppeteers and performers, including CactusHead Puppets, Lone Wolf Tribe, The Innie Outie Dance Theater Company, and Bryan Papciak as well as new works for puppet and object theater by students from UConn’s School of Fine Arts.

The 2016 UConn Fall Puppet Slam will feature work by an array of renowned Northeast puppet professionals and talented UConn students. From New York City, acclaimed puppeteer Kevin Augustine, who performs as Lone Wolf Tribe, will present Body Concert, a haunting solo piece with exquisitely sculpted foam-rubber puppets influenced by Japanese Butoh dance. Also from New York, UConn Puppet Arts alumna Kali Therrien and Bread & Puppet Theater performer Tom Cunningham, working as The Innie Outie Dance Theater, will present episodes from The Judy Show, a hand-puppet extravaganza re-visiting the classic Punch and Judy tradition. They will also perform their own music as the pop band The Malicious Ones. CactusHead Puppets (UConn graduates Megan and John Regan), from Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley will perform The Dance of the Stoat, a table-top comedy, and Gorlax the Terrible, a comic shadow show about a unintentionally beneficent giant. And Boston-based experimental filmmaker and mixed-media artist Bryan Papciak will present Shadows of the Illuminati, a “paranoid infomercial” about “a mysterious shadowy society that manipulates world events and political figures from behind the scenes.” UConn student performances at the Slam will include Anatar Marmol-Gagné’s performance of a new show about Blue Laws across the United States, and Kimberly Van Aelst’s shadow show Dali’s Moustache.

The UConn Fall Puppet Slam is supported by the Puppet Slam Network. The Puppet Slam movement is a nation-wide flowering of short puppet productions for adult audiences, encouraged by the Puppet Slam Network created by Heather Henson and Marsian De Lellis. UConn Puppet Slams have been taking place since 2008, thanks to the generous support of the Network.

The UConn Fall Puppet Slam is free and open to the public; donations are greatly appreciated. The event will take place in the Studio Theatre located at 820 Bolton Rd, Storrs, CT. For directions to the Studio Theatre, visit crt.uconn.edu/directions/. These performances are recommended for mature audiences. For more information, call the Ballard Institute at (860) 486-8580 or email us at bimp@uconn.edu.