Author: Wicks, Emily

A Slice of Crazy Pie by Madison J. Cripps on 12/2

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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.

Tony Sarg: Genius at Play Puppet Forum on 12/6

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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. 

Three Billy Goats Gruff & Lion and Mouse by Pumpernickel Puppets on 11/18

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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.

A Celebration of Indian Performing Arts on 11/10

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In conjunction with its current exhibition Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present A Celebration of Indian Performing Arts, to showcase the talents of local and UConn Indian artists, including dancer Layavinyasa, drummer Gopi Krishnan, and UConn Sanskriti. The performances will take place on Friday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. 

A Celebration of Indian Performing Arts will be hosted by Tradition and Revolution exhibition curator and 12th-generation shadow puppeteer Rahul Koonathara, a UConn Literatures, Cultures, and Languages graduate student. The evening will feature puppetry, music, and dance by UConn and local Indian artists including acclaimed Kuchipudi dancer Layavinyasa; Gopi Krishnan and his ensemble of Melam drummers; UConn Sanskriti, a student cultural organization celebrating classical Indian art forms; and more! The performances will run approximately 60 minutes. Afterwards, enjoy refreshments and henna by Khushbu Dulani and Anshita Suyal! 

Admission is free. Limited seating is available, so reservations are required: bimp.ticketleap.com/cipa.

Tickets can be reserved in advance at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by calling 860-486-8580, or online at bimp.ticketleap.com. 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.

“Careers in Puppet Production” Forum on 11/8

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Photo credit: Peter Morenus/UConn Magazine.

As part of its 2023 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is pleased to host “Careers in Puppet Production” with CJS Workshop Owner Rob Saunders and Production Manager Dana Samborski (both UConn Puppet Arts alumni) on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 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 this forum Ballard Institute Director John Bell, UConn Puppet Arts alumnus and CJS Workshop Owner Rob Saunders, and Workshop Production Manager Dana Samborski (also a Puppet Arts alumnus) will discuss career opportunities in puppet design and production and Saunders’ and Samborski’s experience moving into the growing field of puppets and costumes for the themed entertainment and commercial advertising industries. Dana and Rob will share their thoughts and recommendations for those looking to work in puppet design and production. 

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. 

Wayang Thithi: A Performance and Discussion on 10/27

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The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Wayang Thithi: A Performance and Discussion, a rare opportunity to see and learn about Chinese-influenced Indonesian shadow theater, organized by the Ullen Sentalu Museum of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This special event will feature a performance of Wayang Thithi shadow theater by Dalang (puppet master) Aneng Kiswantoro, and a discussion of Wayang Thithi and its representation in museums by Ullen Sentalu Museum Director Daniel Haryono, and puppeteer Dwi Woro Retno Mastuti, an expert on Chinese-Indonesia puppet forms. The performance and talk will take place on Friday, October 27 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. 

Indonesia is defined by a high level of ethnic diversity, including 1,340 ethnic groups scattered across its 17,024 inhabited islands. “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” (Diversity in Unity) is the Indonesian national slogan for managing cultural unity and equality so that no culture is considered superior or inferior. The assimilation of Chinese culture into Javanese culture can be seen in Wayang Thithi, a shadow puppetry, which emerged in Yogyakarta in the 1880s. Only two museums currently conserve Wayang Thithi (also known as Wayang Cina Jawa, or Wacinwa): the Sono Budoyo Museum in Yogyakarta, and the Yale University Art Gallery. Such precious collections of Wayang Thithi remain as cultural materials in gallery and museum showcases unless and until the collections come alive through programs performing their multicultural living heritage.

The entire evening will run 60 minutes, with a 15-minute performance, followed by presentations and discussion. 

Free admission (donations greatly appreciated). Limited seating availability, so reservations are required. 

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.

Translating “Pinocchio” for the 21st Century: Puppets and Modern Culture on 10/25

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As part of its 2023 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is pleased to host “Translating Pinocchio for the 21st Century: Puppets and Modern Culture” with Anna Kraczyna, co-author (with John Hooper) of a new, internationally acclaimed annotated translation of Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 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). 

Scholar, biographer, and translator Anna Kraczyna will discuss with Ballard Institute director John Bell the fascinating complexity of Collodi’s classic story—one of the best-known, and best-loved stories in world literature—and how (different from the Disney version’s focus on the problems of lying) the novel is most interested in universal ideas about the importance of education and learning from one’s own experience in order to be a true human being. Pinocchio, as Kraczyna and Hooper put it, “is one of those rare fictional characters in whom an entire people seem to be able to make out their reflection,” which might explain why, after almost 150 years, the story is still an inspiration to film-makers and artists of all kinds. Copies of The Adventures of Pinocchio will be on sale at Barnes and Noble during this event. This forum is co-sponsored by UConn’s Department of English; the Department of Literatures, Cultures & Languages; and the Italian Literary & Cultural Studies program.

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. 

Indian Shadow Theater Puppet Forum on 10/17 at 7 p.m.

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As part of its 2023 Fall Puppet Forum Series and in conjunction with the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry’s current exhibit, Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry, the Ballard Institute is pleased to host an Indian Shadow Puppetry puppet forum with Tradition and Revolution exhibition curator Rahul Koonathara and Indian puppetry scholar Dr. Claudia Orenstein, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 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). 

Rahul Koonathara is a UConn graduate student in the Department of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, and a 12th-generation puppeteer in the Pulavar family of Tholpavakoothu shadow performers in Kerala, India. Dr. Claudia Orenstein is a professor of theater at Hunter College and CUNY Graduate Center whose work focuses on performing object theatre and puppetry forms in India and Japan. Koonathara and Orenstein will discuss the spectacular South Indian shadow puppet traditions of Tolu Bommalatta and Tholpavakoothu, as well as recent innovations reflecting the changing nature of the form, all of which can be seen in the current Ballard Institute exhibit Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry. The exhibition will be on display through Dec.17, 2023. 

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. 

About the Speakers

Rahul Koonathara is the younger son of legendary shadow puppet master Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar and puppeteer Rajalakshmi Ramachandra Pulavar. He was born into a family of puppeteers which has preserved Tholpavakoothu shadow theater traditions for twelve generations. Rahul is currently a graduate student in the Department of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Connecticut, under the guidance of Professor Matthew Cohen, and practices traditional shadow puppetry together with contemporary puppet productions, as well as scholarly research in the puppet arts. Rahul has a Bachelor’s degree in Physics, and a Master’s degree in Folklore Studies, as well as a degree in Acting from the National School of Drama in Bangalore. Rahul has performed major roles in traditional and contemporary shadow puppet productions at the Tholpavakoothu and Puppet Centre in Kerala, and at national and international festivals around the world. 

Claudia Orenstein, Theatre Professor at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY, has spent nearly two decades writing on contemporary and traditional puppetry in the US and Asia. Recent publications: co-edited volumes Women and Puppetry: Critical and Historical Investigations and The Routledge Companion to Puppetry and Material Performance. She worked as dramaturg on Tom Lee and kuruma ningyō master, Nishikawa  Koryū V’s, Shank’s Mare, is Board Member of UNIMA-USA and Associate Editor of Asian Theatre Journal. Current book projects: Thinking Through the Puppet: Essays on Puppet Dramaturgy and a two-volume co-edited anthology with Tim Cusack, Puppet and Spirit: Ritual, Religion, and Performing Objects.

Screening of Uncle Sleazo’s Toxic and Terrifying T.V. Hour on 10/21

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Join us for a special free screening of Dead Vision Productions’ Uncle Sleazo’s Toxic and Terrifying T.V. Hour, on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry!

From Director Lucky Cerruti and Dead Vision Productions comes an evening of truly frightening tales of terror with your favorite horror host, Uncle Sleazo. From blood-soaked creature features, to atmospheric frights and everything in between. UConn Puppet Arts Visiting Assistant Professor in Residence Matt Sorensen co-wrote, acted, and designed and built puppets for Uncle Sleazo’s Toxic and Terrifying T.V. Hour. After the film screening, the film creators will share their insights into the conception and production of the film. 

To get into the Halloween spirit, we encourage attendees to come in costume for a costume contest, with Dead Vision Productions merchandise awarded to the winners! There will also be free popcorn, and attendees are invited to bring their own snacks. The screening is free to attend, but a reservation is required. Please make a reservation in advance at bimp.ticketleap.com/sleazo. This film contains explicit content and mature themes, recommended for audiences 18+. 

If you require accommodation to participate, contact the Ballard Institute at bimp@uconn.edu or 860-486-8580.