To wrap up its 2023 Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut is pleased to welcome back Madison J. Cripps with A Slice of Crazy Pie on Dec. 2, 2023 at 11 a.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. 

Step into the enchantment of A Slice of Crazy Pie, a mesmerizing cabaret-style marionette puppet show meticulously crafted by Madison J Cripps. Since 2006, this captivating production weaves interests, viewpoints, and eccentricities into a spellbinding journey. Characters like Pinkey the Mayor and Ratty Ratkinson engage with audiences, while diverse settings from the moon to the street provide intrigue. With themes spanning ecology to well-being, the show’s fluid duration accommodates any space. Beneath the puppetry lies a world of creativity and interaction, where harmonica melodies and singing add depth. Blurring imagination and reality, the show thrives on creative engagement. As the curtains rise, all ages are invited into a captivating realm, a profound exploration of the human spirit, and a shared adventure of fascination. The show runtime is approximately 50 minutes. To learn more, visit bimp.ticketleap.com/crazy-pie.

Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Members/Seniors: $10; Students: $8; Kids: $6 (12 years and under).

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by calling 860-486-8580, or online at 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 the performance starting at 10 a.m. There will be open seating and no reservations. Visitors can park in the Storrs Center Garage located at 33 Royce Circle. For more information about these performances or if you require accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

To wrap up its 2023 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is pleased to host Tony Sarg: Genius at Play with Norman Rockwell Museum Chief Curator and Deputy Director Stephanie Plunkett, on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 at 7 p.m. at the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. This forum will also be broadcast via Ballard Institute Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute). 

In conjunction with the Norman Rockwell Museum’s recent exhibition Tony Sarg: Genius at Play, which closed on Nov. 5, Ballard Institute Director John Bell will speak with exhibition curator Stephanie Plunkett about the first-ever comprehensive exhibition exploring the life, art, and adventures of Tony Sarg (1880-1942). Sarg, a charismatic illustrator, animator, puppeteer, designer, entrepreneur, and showman, is often celebrated as the father of modern puppetry in North America and the originator of the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloons, floats, and animated store windows. The Genius at Play exhibition included puppets from Ballard Institute collections by Sarg and Sarg puppeteers Rufus and Margo Rose, and the exhibition’s catalog includes an Introduction by Dr. Bell. The catalog, a beautifully illustrated, first-ever survey of Sarg’s career, will be on sale at the Barnes and Noble bookstore next to the Ballard Institute. 

Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. For more information or if you require accommodation to attend a forum, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu. 

Two classic tales make up this wonderful animal-inspired show by John McDonough of Pumpernickel Puppets from Worcester MA. In his modern adaptation of the famous Norwegian folk tale The Three Billy Goats Gruff,  three quick-witted goats outsmart the green, snaggletooth troll who lives under a bridge. In The Lion and the Mouse, two unlikely friends – one very big and one very small – learn to help each other solve their problems. Both tales are told with colorful friendly hand puppets, and feature lots of audience participation. Recommended for children three and over.

Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Members/Seniors: $10; Students: $8; Kids: $6 (12 years and under).

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by calling 860-486-8580, or online at 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 the performance starting at 10 a.m. There will be open seating and no reservations. Visitors can park in the Storrs Center Garage located at 33 Royce Circle. For more information about these performances or if you require accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

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About the Company

The Pumpernickel Puppets are the creation of John McDonough of Worcester, Massachusetts. John was four years old when he saw his first puppet show, and he immediately knew that he wanted to be a puppeteer. By his teens, John was presenting shows all over the New England area. The Pumpernickel Puppets have had the honor of appearing at the Puppet Showplace Theatre, the Boston Children’s Museum, the Institute of Professional Puppetry Arts at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., the Cultural Olympiad at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia, and the prestigious International Festival of Puppet Theatre sponsored by the Jim Henson Foundation at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York. For each production John creates and performs with his own puppets, which range from small hand puppets to larger-than-life figures.