Month: November 2024

The Dragon’s Laugh & Other Tales by Charlotte Lily Gaspard on 12/7

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To conclude its 2024 Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut is pleased to welcome shadow puppet artist and storyteller Charlotte Lily Gaspard of Midnight Radio Show to perform The Dragon’s Laugh & Other Tales on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

Join “bonafide fairy princess” Charlotte Lily Gaspard for enchanting original fairytales and songs by her company Midnight Radio Show!  Shadow puppetry breathes life into these delightful short stories of adventure and friendship. In one story, a dragon and a fairy become friends, although their families disapprove. Complications ensue, and the new-found companions must go on a quest together as they prove that friendship can be found anywhere and with anyone. Recommended for ages 5+.

Charlotte Lily Gaspard has been described as “part celestial creature, part sophisticated human,” by Enchanted Living Magazine. A shadow puppet artist and creator of the Brooklyn collective Midnight Radio Show, her mission is to activate imaginations and celebrate playfulness wherever she goes. Midnight Radio Show broadcasts magic to children of all ages, using handmade shadow puppets, live performances, video content, and an actual radio show. Charlotte also creates costumes for theater and film and leads puppetry and theater workshops all over New York City and beyond. Learn more and purchase tickets: http://bimp.ticketleap.com/dragons-laugh.

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.

“Exploring Puppetry in The Old Man and the Old Moon” Puppet Forum on 11/20

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As part of its 2024 Fall Puppet Forum Series and in conjunction with the Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s fall season, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is pleased to host “Exploring Puppetry in The Old Man and the Old Moon” on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. at the Jorgensen Gallery, located at 2132 Hillside Rd, Storrs, Conn. 06268. This forum is co-sponsored by the UConn Connecticut Repertory Theatre and will be streamed via Ballard Institute Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute).

“Exploring Puppetry in The Old Man and the Old Moon” will offer a special behind-the-scenes glimpse of this new Connecticut Repertory Theatre production before that evening’s 7:30 p.m. performance at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre. The forum will discuss the design, construction, and performance of shadow figures and three-dimensional puppets in of a PigPen Theater Company play with music, directed by Matt Sorensen, a Visiting Professor of Dramatic Arts in UConn’s Puppet Arts Program. In conversation with Ballard Institute Director John Bell, Sorensen and Puppet Arts MFA student designers Harley Walker and Mel Carter will discuss the process of conceiving and creating puppetry elements for this acclaimed Off-Broadway production about the aging caretaker of the moon, and the conflicts of duty and love he faces.

Admission to the forum 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.

To purchase tickets for The Old Man and the Old Moon, visit crt.uconn.edu.