Events

“The Business of Puppetry,” a Spring Puppet Forum on 2/8 at 7 p.m.

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As part of the 2017 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with professionals in the puppetry field entitled The Business of Puppetry on Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

What combinations of artistry, entrepreneurship, and management are needed for success in 21st-century puppetry? Join Roxie Myhrum, Artistic Director of Puppet Showplace Theater; acclaimed Boston-area puppeteer and dancer Bonnie Duncan; and New York City puppet designer, builder and performer Matt Acheson for an incisive discussion about how to make a living in the arts today.

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Matt Acheson is a puppet and theater artist living in Brooklyn. Matt was the Resident Puppetry Director for Warhorse at Lincoln Center Theater and Associate Puppetry Director for the Warhorse North American tour. Matt has designed, built, and directed puppets for productions including Radio City’s Spring Spectacular and Sarah Ruhl’s play The Oldest Boy. In 2015, Matt and UConn Puppet Arts Program Adjunct Professor Fergus J. Walsh founded AchesonWalsh Studios. Most recently, they designed and fabricated a Tyrannosaurs Rex for On The Town, and masks for the 2015 revival of The King and I at Lincoln Center Theater. Currently, Matt is directing and curating the annual St. Ann’s Warehouse Puppet Lab with Krissy Smith.

Bonnie Duncan has blended puppetry, dance, and physical theatre in surprising and delightful ways for the past 16 years. She currently heads up The Gottabees, making super-fun theater for families. She tours two shows for families (Squirrel Stole My Underpants & Lollipops for Breakfast) that are selling out theaters and inspiring homemade puppet shows throughout the U.S. and abroad. She also creates small shows for adult audiences. Prior to her work with The Gottabees, Bonnie was a company member of Snappy Dance Theater for eight years, performing sculptural, acrobatic dances internationally.

Roxanna Myhrum is the Artistic Director of Puppet Showplace Theater, where she has produced and directed hundreds of puppetry events, from Boston’s annual First Night Puppetry Festival to the site-specific Halloween attraction The Midnight Zoo. She is a sought-after puppetry coach and director in Greater Boston. Roxanna has taught puppetry to students of all ages and has been a guest teaching artist at several colleges and universities. Roxanna recently completed a term on the Puppeteers of America Board of Trustees and was part of the Artistic Committee for the 2015 National Puppetry Festival at UConn.
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.

Grand Opening of “Banners and Cranks: Paintings and Scrolls in Performance” on 2/23 at 5 p.m.

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The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present the grand opening of its new exhibition Banners and Cranks: Paintings and Scrolls in Performance on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 5:00 p.m., with refreshments served at 5:00 p.m. and a free tour and performances from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. All events will take place at the Ballard Institute, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Banners and Cranks: Paintings and Scrolls in Performance will feature a global array of traditional and contemporary cantastorias and crankies—forms of sung picture story-telling that trace their origins to 6th-century India. Paintings mounted on sticks, flipped over and revealed, or unfurled on scrolls and moved by means of a crank, these performing objects were precursors to the popular puppet traditions of many countries. Today, even as advanced electronic technology becomes more and more integral to popular media and culture, a new dynamic engagement with the simple mechanical cranky and cantastoria has blossomed among contemporary artists, activists, puppeteers and musicians, who infuse this old form with diverse new content and bold variations in technique. Curated by puppeteer Clare Dolan, the director of Vermont’s Museum of Everyday Life, Banners and Cranks features a multitude of picture performance works from new young puppet theater companies, activist educators, folk musicians, visual artists, playwrights, and students, as well as historical examples of the form from Europe and Asia. The opening events will feature a tour led by Clare Dolan, and live performances of crankies and cantastorias by the curator, as well as by Great Small Works theater company.

As part of our Spring Puppet Forum Series, on Wednesday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. Banners and Cranks curator Clare Dolan, and Puerto-Rico-based puppeteer, author, and visual artist Dave Buchen talk about the old-and-new international painting and performance medium they have nurtured since the first Banners and Cranks festival in 2010. Free admission, donations greatly appreciated.

In connection with the exhibition, a Banners and Cranks Mini-Festival will present cranky and cantastoria performances created by puppeteers, musicians, and artists from throughout the Northeast on Friday and Saturday, April 14-15. Friday evening performances, starting at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, will feature productions geared for adult audiences; Saturday afternoon performances, starting at 2 p.m., are geared for family audiences. Ticket prices for each day: Adults: $12; Members/Seniors $10; Students: $8; Kids: $6 (12 years and under). Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ballard Institute, by calling 860.486.8580, or online at http://bimp.ticketleap.com/. A surcharge will be added to any purchases made online. There will be open seating and no reservations.

2017 Spring Puppet Forum Series

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For its 2017 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host four free scintillating discussions with puppeteers, animators, designers, producers, and writers on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. in February through April at in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center. The Spring Puppet Forum schedule will include the following talks:

BusinessOfPuppetryImageFebruary 8: The Business of Puppetry with Bonnie Duncan, Roxie Myhrum, and Matt Acheson

What combinations of artistry, entrepreneurship, and management are needed for success in 21st-century puppetry? Join Roxie Myhrum, Artistic Director of Puppet Showplace Theater; acclaimed Boston-area puppeteer and dancer Bonnie Duncan; and New York City puppet designer, builder and performer Matt Acheson for an incisive discussion about how to make a living in the arts today.

Bannon_Little_Bob_CURESIVEDMarch 8: Puppetry and Animation with Michael Bannon

Stop-motion animation artist Michael Bannon’s Wreckless Abandon Studios has produced and directed award-winning commercials for scores of companies across the United States, as well as the famous “Little Bob” spokespuppet for Connecticut-based Bob’s Discount Furniture. Hear Michael explain the dynamics and opportunities of contemporary visual storytelling with the arts of stop-motion puppet animation.

BruceKennett1200March 29: W.A. Dwiggins: Puppetry and Graphic Design with Bruce Kennett

While William Addison Dwiggins (1880-1956) has long been recognized in American puppetry as a singularly innovative early 20th-century modernist, he had an equally influential career as an illustrator, type designer, calligrapher, and book designer. Join Bruce Kennett, author of a forthcoming monograph on Dwiggins, in a fascinating and enlightening discussion of this unique polymath of visual design.

Dolly Wagglers2April 12: Banners and Cranks with Clare Dolan and Dave Buchen

In conjunction with the concurrent Banners and Cranks exhibition at the Ballard Institute, curator Clare Dolan, puppeteer and director of Vermont’s Museum of Everyday Life; and Puerto-Rico based puppeteer, author, and visual artist Dave Buchen talk about the old-and-new international painting and performance medium they have nurtured since the first Banners and Cranks festival in 2010.

Admission to these events 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.

2017 UConn Winter Puppet Slam on 2/3 at 8 p.m.

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The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and the UConn Puppet Arts Program will present the 2017 UConn Winter Puppet Slam on Friday, February 3, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. in UConn’s Studio Theatre. The UConn Winter Puppet Slam will feature short works by professional puppeteers and performers, including Lone Wolf Tribe, Dana Samborski, Better than Never Theater Company, The Grizzly Boys, and J. R. Uretsky and Feminist Conference, as well as new works for puppet and object theater by students from UConn’s School of Fine Arts.

The 2017 UConn Winter Puppet Slam includes 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. UConn alum Dana Samborski will return to Storrs from Nashville, Tennessee to perform his tabletop show The Three Bears. The Better than Never Theater Company—UConn alumnus Joe Therrien and his partner Sam Wilson—will perform The Sirens of Titan, Episode 47: Tralfamadore, a toy theater spectacle based on the writings of Kurt Vonnegut. In addition, as The Grizzly Boys, Therrien and New York City puppeteer Tom Cunningham will present an overhead projector show torn from today’s headlines, The Sad and True Adventures of President Punch. Providence-based performance artist (and UConn Art and Art History alumna) J.R. Uretsky and her art band Feminist Conference (featuring Rachel Blumberg on drums and Emily Dix on cello) will perform Hope Load, an autobiographical performance featuring live music and video projection. In addition, the UConn Winter Puppet Slam will feature new works by UConn Puppet Arts graduate and undergraduate students.

The UConn Winter 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 Winter 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.

“Cardboard Explosion!” by Brad Shur on 2/11 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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As part of its Spring Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Cardboard Explosion! by Puppet Showplace Theater Resident Artist Brad Shur. Performances will take place on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Cardboard Explosion! brings five original stories to life using nothing but cardboard and the power of the imagination. With help from the audience, puppeteer Brad Shur transforms simple cardboard shapes into elaborate puppet characters, then brings them to life right before the audience’s eyes. Get ready to outsmart dragons, choose your own superpower, and train adorable animal sidekicks in this fun, energetic, participatory show. The show is 55 minutes long, and recommended for children ages 5 and up. Cardboard Explosion! was developed in Puppet Showplace Theater’s Incubator Program with support from the Jim Henson Foundation, the Bob Jolly Charitable Trust, and the Sakharoff Family Trust.

Brad Shur, a lifelong artist, regards puppetry as a medium that allows him to share his passion for all forms of creativity: sculpting, writing, performing, and more. Brad began performing in puppet shows while he was a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, and went on to become an accomplished puppet builder and teaching artist. Shur has been the Resident Artist at Puppet Showplace Theater since 2009, where he has created four original shows: Dr. Doohickey’s Monster Machine, The Magic Soup and Other Stories, Tall Tales, and Robin Hood. Shur’s newest creation, Cardboard Explosion! brings together puppetry, design, and creative improvisation to energize audiences become art makers themselves!

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 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 open seating and no reservations. For more information about these performances, call 860.486.8580.

2017 Spring Puppet Performance Series

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The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host its Spring Puppet Performance Series on four Saturdays from February to May 2017, featuring outstanding works for puppet theater by professional puppeteers from across the Northeast and beyond. Each show will be performed twice, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. All performances will take place at the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs, CT. Productions and dates include:

cardboard-explosion-3February 11: Cardboard Explosion! by Brad Shur- Cardboard Explosion! brings five original stories to life using nothing but cardboard and the power of the imagination. With help from the audience, Puppet Showplace Theater Resident Artist Brad Shur transforms simple cardboard shapes into elaborate puppet characters, then brings them to life right before the audience’s eyes.
 

wordplay-2March 25: Word Play by Good Hearted Entertainment- Word Play uses clowning and puppetry to take audiences on an adventure through the alphabet. Audiences can make friends with vowels, teach tricks to a “C-A-T” and “D-O-G,” and visit a Word Zoo full of surprises. It’s the perfect blend of education and entertainment- a play on words, literally!

 

hansel-and-gretel-3April 22: Hansel and Gretel by National Marionette Theatre– In their newest production, National Marionette Theatre brings the most famous of the Grimm Brothers’ stories to life. Featuring exquisitely crafted marionettes, scrolling scenery, and the beautiful music of Engelbert Humperdinck, Hansel and Gretel is sure to delight audiences of all ages!

 

banana-kid-1May 13: The Legend of the Banana Kid by Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers– Little Chucky heads to the Wild West to outwit outlaws in this cowboy adventure! The Legend of the Banana Kid features 20 of Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers’ hand-crafted glove, mouth, and rod puppets, and a slew of flying and twirling Styrofoam bananas.

 

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

Tickets can be purchased 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 open seating and no reservations. For more information about these performances, call 860.486.8580.

All sales are final — there are no refunds.

“Rumpelstilskin” by Dream Tale Puppets on 10/15 at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

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As part of its Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Rumpelstilskin by Dream Tale Puppets on Saturday, October 15, 2016. There will be two performances, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., in the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs, CT.

In this adaptation of Rumpelstiltskin, the well-known German folktale, Dream Tale Puppets uses beautifully crafted table-top puppets to tell the story of a girl, Kathleen, whose father puts her life in danger after he lies to the king about her ability to spin straw into gold. An odd-looking stranger appears and offers to help her if she will give him her first-born child with the King–a promise she does not think she will have to keep. After the King marries Kathleen and they have a child, she is faced with losing him to the stranger if she cannot pass one more test!

Dream Tale Puppets was founded in 2003 by Jacek Zuzanski, a puppeteer, stage director and theater teacher who, before coming to the United States in 2001, studied, practiced, and taught theater and art in his native Poland. Preschool teacher and storyteller Mary Almeida co-founded the troupe with Jacek. Working at the Cape Cod Children’s Museum, Dream Tale has created a series of shows–Little Red Riding Hood and Three Little Pigs, Rumpelstilskin, and Jack and the Beanstalk–which they perform in schools, libraries, cultural centers and private functions. Today Dream Tale Puppets is a community of artists whose members perform, teach, design, build puppets, and write plays.

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.

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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.