Events

“The Doll Plays” Reunion Online Puppet Forum on 11/4 at 7 p.m. ET

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For its second installment of the 2021 Fall Puppet Forum Series, and in conjunction with its Puppetry’s Racial Reckoning exhibition, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host “The Doll Plays” Reunion with Alva Rogers, Heather Henson, and Holly Laws on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. ET. This forum will take place on Zoom (registration required: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ewzeFqjpTDa0IcZCbOURSg) and Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute/) and will be available afterwards on Facebook and the Ballard Institute YouTube Channel (youtube.com/channel/UC3VSthEDnYS6ZjOwzT1DnTg). This forum is co-sponsored by the UConn Department of Art and Art History and Africana Studies Institute. 

Playwright Alva Rogers based The Doll Plays on the true story of African American doll collector Lenon Holder Hoyte (1905-1999) and her museum in Harlem. When she passes, the dolls in Ms. Hoyte’s collection seek to keep their beloved museum founder alive in their world by transforming her into a doll. The Doll Plays Reunion brings together the creative team of the original production: director Heather Henson, playwright Alva Rogers, and artist Holly Laws, to discuss The Doll Plays’ historical and cultural context, their experience of creating the play, and its relevance today. Shadow puppets made by artist Kara Walker which featured in the original production of 1998 are on display at the exhibition Puppetry’s Racial Reckoning at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry (closing October 30).

Alva Rogers is the descendant of James Rogers, one of the earliest black landowners in Cary, North Carolina, and Jordan Harrison McNair. Rogers, a descendant of George Rogers, slave, was the property of plantation owner Felix Rogers in Durham/Wake County. McNair, her maternal great, great, grandfather, was a Civil War soldier and then a landowner in Hoke/Robeson County, NC.

Her writing career began with Rodeo Caldonia, a performance/theater collective she co-founded in 1985 (their work was in the traveling exhibit We Wanted A Revolution: Black Radical Women 1965-85, at the Brooklyn Museum). Following an influential early career as a performance artist and film actor (Spike Lee’s School Daze, Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust), Rogers concentrated more on writing, earning MFAs in Musical Theatre Writing (NYU/Tisch; 1995) and Playwriting (Brown University; 1998). Rogers lived in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, enjoying traditional Indonesian wayang kulit shadow puppet theater, and wayang golek rod puppetry. Her collaborations with Heather Henson and Holly Laws began in 1997 (@alvasworld/www.alvasworld.com).

Heather Henson is a contemporary puppet artist whose work promotes harmony and healing for the planet through artistic spectacle and discussion. Heather graduated with a degree from Rhode Island School of Design and studied at the California Institute of the Arts. Heather founded IBEX Puppetry (www.ibexpuppetry.com) in 2000, a multi-platform production company dedicated to promoting the fine art of puppetry in all of its mediums, honoring her work as well as that of other puppetry artists around the world.

Artist and designer Holly Laws’ professional experience is wide and varied. Her work runs the gamut from sculpture and multi-media installation, to puppetry and theater design. She is most interested in exploring work overlapping these disciplines. Laws received a BFA in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and an MFA in Sculpture from Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University in Philadelphia. She moved to Arkansas in 2008 for a faculty position at the University of Central Arkansas, where she teaches in the Department of Art and Design.

For more information and to learn about other Ballard Institute online programming, visit bimp.uconn.edu or email bimp@uconn.edu.

Canceled: “Bugsy and Friends” by Pumpernickel Puppets on 10/30

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Due to inclement weather, the performance of “Bugsy and Friends” by Pumpernickel Puppets scheduled for this Saturday, along with the Sunday rain date, have been canceled.

We hope to bring Pumpernickel Puppets back to Storrs in the Spring!

The Ballard Institute will still take part in Trick-or-Treat in Downtown Storrs and give away Halloween mask-making kits under the Ballard Institute marquee on Saturday, 10/30 from 3-5 PM. To learn more about Trick-or-Treat in Downtown Storrs visit: https://www.downtownstorrs.org/halloween

 

2021 UConn Fall Puppet Slam: Online! on 10/22 at 8 p.m.

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The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and the UConn Puppet Arts Program will present an online version of its popular UConn Fall Puppet Slam on October 22, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET on the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute/). The 2021 UConn Fall Puppet Slam: Online!, hosted by UConn Puppet Arts student Stoph Scheer and Kunzika, will feature short works by professional puppeteers and performers from around the United States and across the world and new works by UConn Puppet Arts students.

The 2021 UConn Fall Puppet Slam: Online! will showcase the work of Thai pantomime and artist TaLent Show; Puerto Rican puppeteer Brenda Plumey; Boston-based quintet Firepit Coven; Linda Wingerter of The Stringpullers Puppet Company; independent artist Sandi Green Baker of Missouri; Hawaii-based artist Bonnie Kim; Kenyan puppeteer Fedelis Kyalo; puppeteer team Norah Solorzano and Alex Young, and recent UConn Puppet Arts graduate Felicia Cooper. 

The UConn Fall Puppet Slam will also feature fascinating new works by UConn graduate and undergraduate students from the UConn Puppet Arts Program. Funding for the UConn Fall Puppet Slam: Online! is made possible in part by the Puppet Slam Network.

The UConn Fall Puppet Slam is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. These performances are recommended for mature audiences. The UConn Fall Puppet Slam will be available through November 30, 2021 on the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry Facebook page (facebook.com/BallardInstitute/) and the Ballard Institute YouTube channel (youtube.com/channel/UC3VSthEDnYS6ZjOwzT1DnTg). 

For more information about these performances, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

“Exhibiting Racism in Museums” Online Puppet Forum with William F. Condee and Schroeder Cherry on 10/14 at 7 p.m. ET

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For its second installment of the 2021 Fall Puppet Forum Series, and in conjunction with the Puppetry’s Racial Reckoning exhibition, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will host “Exhibiting Racism in Museums” with professor William F. Condee and puppeteer and museum educator Schroeder Cherry on Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. ET. This forum will take place on Zoom (registration required: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MY1VOc-gQoOzaXYOTgGWvw) and Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute/) and will be available afterwards on Facebook and the Ballard Institute YouTube Channel (youtube.com/channel/UC3VSthEDnYS6ZjOwzT1DnTg). 

The exhibition Puppetry’s Racial Reckoning at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry (closing October 30) raises important questions about displaying objects that are explicitly or implicitly racist. Is it right to give such objects a place in a museum? How to contextualize and introduce the objects and generate productive and meaningful conversations based on the exhibition? Addressing these questions are Dr. William F. Condee, who is writing about puppets representing minorities and foreigners at five major collections in Germany, and Dr. Schroeder Cherry, a puppeteer and a curator at James E. Lewis Museum of Arts who has extensive experience discussing racism in museum contexts with exhibition visitors. This forum will be an opportunity to think through ethics and methods of curating racist objects and how to broaden perspectives on the roles of museums in relation to anti-racism. This forum is co-sponsored by the UConn Human Rights Institute. 

Originally  from Washington, D.C., Schroeder Cherry, Ed.D. is now a Maryland-based artist and 2019 Sondheim competition finalist who captures everyday scenes of African diaspora life. He earned a bachelor’s degree in painting and puppetry from The University of Michigan; a master’s degree in museum education from George Washington University; and a doctorate in museum education from Columbia University. His works are found in private and public collections across the US. In 2020 He was awarded the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City Artist Travel Prize for research in Bahia, Brazil.  In 2021 he received an Individual Artist Award from Maryland State Arts Council. Cherry’s museum career spans more than thirty years, with positions held at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum in Washington, D.C.; Studio Museum in Harlem; J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu; The Baltimore Museum of Art; and Maryland Historical Society. He served eight years at The Institute of Museum and Library Services, first as Deputy Director for Museums, and later as Counselor to the Director. He was recently appointed Curator at James E. Lewis Museum, Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. William Condee (J. Richard Hamilton Professor Emeritus of Humanities, Ohio University) is the author of Coal and Culture: The Opera House in Appalachia (Ohio, 2005) and Theatrical Space: A Guide for Directors and Designers (Scarecrow, 1995). His articles on Southeast Asian puppetry have been published in Puppetry International, Studies in Theatre and Performance and Asian Journal of University Education. Articles on other subjects have appeared in Theatre Survey, Theatre Topics, and Theatre Annual. He has co-authored work (with Thomas Irmer) on German theater in A History of German Theatre (Cambridge University Press, 2008) and Theatre Journal. His most recent work on Nonmaterial Performance has appeared in Imagined Theatres andTDR: The Drama Review, co-authored with Barry Rountree. Condee was the Kohei Miura Visiting Professor at Chubu, Japan; a Fulbright Senior Specialist at University of Leipzig and University of Malaya; and has lectured at universities including East China Normal, Tsinghua, Nanjing, Dankook, and Hindu Dharma Institute (Bali).

For more information and to learn about other Ballard Institute online programming, visit bimp.uconn.edu or email bimp@uconn.edu.

“Fox Fables” by WonderSpark Puppets on 8/7 at 11 a.m. in Betsy Paterson Square

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As part of its Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Fox Fables by New York City-based WonderSpark Puppets on Aug. 7 at 11 a.m. ET in Betsy Paterson Square. This show will be socially distanced and follow Town of Mansfield and UConn safety guidelines. In the event of inclement weather for outdoor performances, the show will be rescheduled for Sunday, Aug. 8 at 11 a.m. ET. For this outdoor performance, seating is first come, first seated. Reservations are not required. Due to generous support during our 2021 UConn Gives campaign, admission is free, but donations are encouraged. This performance is co-sponsored by the Mansfield Downtown Partnership. 
What makes you–YOU? Fox Fables is a combination of several Aesop’s Fables, inspired by the works of the 12th century storyteller Rabbi Berechiah ha-Nakdan. The story is about a fox who loses his precious tail and with it his identity. He tries to be several other animals instead–with hilarious results–before realizing the moral lesson of this ancient fable. Themes in this tale include self-worth, anti-bullying, test taking, and the five senses. Theater Review NYC stated, “This sweet little adventure, a mix of ancient fables, is wonderfully performed … and is not without its lessons in self-worth and anti-bullying.”
Fox Fables was selected for the first International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC and the Siam Paragon World Fascinating Puppets Festival in Thailand. Since its world premiere, Fox Fables has become a staple of Jewish family programming throughout the NYC area in chabads, shuls, JCCs and theaters.
WonderSpark Puppets is a New York City-based puppet theater company led by Chad Williams and Z Briggs. The company’s mission is to spread joy, spark imagination and share laughter through high quality puppet performances. They have partnered with brands like Bed Bath & Beyond, CAMP, NYC Public Schools and the New York Public Library. They have toured internationally, bringing original productions and puppetry workshops to festivals in Thailand and Taiwan.
This outdoor performance will take place in Betsy Paterson Square, reservations will not be required. Chairs will not be provided, so groups are encouraged to bring their own blankets and chairs. Seating space will be first come, first served. To comply with UConn safety guidelines, masks are required for all attendees and staff ages two and up at all times. For safety, six feet of space will be required between seated family groups. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and exit of the seating area. Please note that public restrooms are not available.
For more information, or if you require accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

Virtual: “ScreenPLAY!: Journey into Space” by The Gottabees on 7/31 at 11 a.m.

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As part of its 2021 Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Journey into Space, an episode of the irresistible, interactive family ScreenPLAY! Zoom adventure series by the Boston-based Gottabees ensemble, on July 31 at 11 a.m. ET, via Zoom. Due to generous support during our 2021 UConn Gives campaign, admission is free, but donations are encouraged. A household reservation is required for this performance. 
Calling all families! The intrepid artists of the Gottabees are gathering our community for a brand-new all-ages at-home adventure called ScreenPLAY! This super-interactive experience allows you to channel your household’s creativity into an inspiring work of participatory art. Each ScreenPLAY episode is non-stop interactive FUN, where your whole family becomes part of the story. The Gottabees explore movement, puppetry, theater, and the irresistible power of being ridiculous. It’s really fun and exciting… but a little hard to describe until you’ve given it a try. So, clear some space at home, jump into your Zoom square, and get ready for imagined adventures!
As part of the Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series, the Gottabees will perform the Journey into Space episode of ScreenPLAY!. Hang onto your astronaut helmet as you blast off into outer space with Bonnie as your captain. While our rocket ship may be cozy, it does tend to veer off course where meteors and aliens come smashing into view.
The Gottabees are a Boston-based ensemble who have been happily making “super fun theater for the whole family” for the past seven years. The company includes creator and performer Bonnie Duncan and composers Brendan Burns and Tony Leva. They have performed for audiences across the region, throughout the U.S., and beyond. You may recognize them from their shows Squirrel Stole My Underpants, Lollipops for Breakfast, and Go Home Tiny Monster. The Gottabees’ mission is to inspire community, connection, and joy by providing an outlet for families to giggle, gasp, sigh, and cheer together. The Gottabees want children (and adults!) to know in their hearts that they, too, can make theater wherever they are and whomever they are. Learn more about their work at thegottabees.com.
For virtual performances via Zoom, a household reservation must be made in advance due to limited availability. Reservations can be made by visiting bimp.ticketleap.com. A link to the Zoom event will be emailed to registrants an hour before the performance. 
For more information, or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

Change in Programming for 7/17! Kitty’s Corner and Other Stories by String Theory Theater

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We have a slight change in our virtual show for Saturday, July 17!

Our performer this week, Dirk Joseph of String Theory Theater, was in a bicycle accident. He is recovering but will be unable to perform live on Saturday. Instead, we are happy to present a recording of Kitty’s Corner by String Theory Theater from Spring 2020, and two other short pieces titled Inflorescence and Material Witness on Saturday, July 17 at 11 a.m. ET. This will still take place via Zoom, and we will send out a link to registrants the morning of the show. 

The Ballard Institute is happy to once again share a recording of Kitty’s Corner, a hilarious interview-style talk show put on by a cat and a dog. Lively characters with humor to crack up both children and adults. After the show enjoy a peek behind the scenes with a tour of the String Theory Theater studio as puppeteers Dirk Joseph and his daughter Azaria Jean-Gilles Joseph share how their puppets work and how they create their shows. We are also excited to present to other short pieces by String Theory Theater titled Inflorescence and Material Witness.

String Theory Theater (STT) is a family puppet troupe based in Baltimore MD, consisting of artist Dirk Joseph and his daughters Koi and Azaria. They create and perform shows for families to enjoy together, as well as adult-themed productions. STT is also involved in community arts, using puppetry as a healing and connective cultural technology in some of Baltimore’s underserved communities.

Due to generous support during our 2021 UConn Gives campaign, admission is free, but donations are encouraged.

For this virtual performance via Zoom, a household reservation must be made in advance due to limited availability. Reservations can be made by visiting bimp.ticketleap.com/anansi. A link to the Zoom event will be emailed to registrants an hour before the performance.

For more information, or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

“Judy Saves the Day” to be Performed on 7/10 at 11 a.m. on Betsy Paterson Square!

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Despite all the rainy weather today, we are happy to kick off our Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series on Saturday, July 10 at 11a.m. with Judy Saves the Day by Sarah Nolen in Betsy Paterson Square!

After being pushed around for over 400 years, the famous hand-puppet heroine Judy has had enough! Cheer her on as she goes on a quest for respect, justice, and a well-deserved nap. Puppeteer Sarah Nolen delivers an astonishing one-woman performance in this modern feminist interpretation of the traditional Punch and Judy puppet show. Audiences young and old will laugh, cry, yell, and gasp in response to this highly-interactive, hilarious, hand-crafted farce.

Admission is free, but donations are encouraged.

Per UConn health and safety policies, masks are required at all times for all attendees and staff ages two and up. For safety, six feet of space will be required between seated family groups. Please note that public restrooms are not available.

Chairs will not be provided, so groups are encouraged to bring waterproof seating (just in case the grass is still wet!). Seating space will be first come, first served. This show will not be streamed virtually.

This performance is co-sponsored by the Mansfield Downtown Partnership.

For more information, visit bimp.uconn.edu.

“Our Magnificent Monster Circus” by CactusHead Puppets on 7/24

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As part of its 2021 Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will present Our Magnificent Monster Circus by Massachusetts-based CactusHead Puppets on July 24 at 11 a.m. ET in Betsy Paterson Square. Due to generous support during our 2021 UConn Gives campaign, admission is free, but donations are encouraged. This performance is co-sponsored by the Mansfield Downtown Partnership.
Come one, come all, to a circus like no other! Encounter magnificent creatures from the wilds of your imagination as their quirky human caretaker tries to teach them new tricks. Kids can lend a hand to Eustice the Unicycling Unimonster, make friends with a Fiery Fanged Worm, cheer for Agnes the many-legged Acropod, and more! This colorful, silly, interactive show full of friendly monsters is a perfect match for young audiences.
CactusHead Puppets was started in 2010 by John and Megan Regan. Known for their playful performance style and exuberant creativity, CactusHead tours throughout the Northeast with fun shows and workshops for all ages. They also host the annual Paper City Puppet Slam in Holyoke, MA, and are affiliated touring artists with the Puppet Showplace Theater.  Megan and John are both graduates of the University of Connecticut’s famed Puppet Arts Program. Megan is originally from the Kansas City area, where she worked with the Mesner Puppet Theater. John is from western Massachusetts, and is honored to be performing in some of the same venues where he saw puppet shows growing up. 
This show will be socially distanced and follow Town of Mansfield and UConn safety guidelines. Masks are required at all times for all attendees and staff ages two and up. For safety, six feet of space will be required between seated family groups. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and exit of the seating area. Please note that public restrooms are not available.
Reservations are not required. Chairs will not be provided, so groups are encouraged to bring their own blankets and seating. Seating space will be first come, first served.
In the event of inclement weather for outdoor performances, the show will be rescheduled for Sunday, July 25 at 11 a.m. ET.
For more information, or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

“Anansi: Story-teller” by String Theory Theater on 7/17

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As part of its Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will present Anansi: Story-teller by Baltimore’s String Theory Theater on July 17 at 11 a.m. ET via Zoom. Due to generous support during our 2021 UConn Gives campaign, admission is free, but donations are encouraged. A household reservation is required for this performance. 

String Theory Theater presents a fresh take on the famous trickster spider from West Africa folk tales. Anansi is charged with weaving together all of the stories of life on earth and relaying the stories to the sky gods. Daunted by what seems like a never-ending task, Anansi seeks to simplify his effort with an innovative solution, which leads to unexpected results.

String Theory Theater (STT) is a family puppet troupe based in Baltimore MD, consisting of artist Dirk Joseph and his daughters Koi and Azaria. They create and perform shows for families to enjoy together, as well as adult-themed productions. STT is also involved in community arts, using puppetry as a healing and connective cultural technology in some of Baltimore’s underserved communities. 

For this virtual performance via Zoom, a household reservation must be made in advance due to limited availability. Reservations can be made by visiting bimp.ticketleap.com. A link to the Zoom event will be emailed to registrants an hour before the performance. 

For more information, or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.