The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host its 2019 Fall Puppet Performance Series on four Saturdays from September to December 2019, featuring outstanding works of puppet theater by professional puppeteers from across New England 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 in Downtown Storrs. 

The schedule of the Fall Puppet Performance Series includes the following:

Sept. 28: Milo the Magnificent by Alex & Olmsted

Milo the Magnificent–the recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Grant–is a highly engaging puppet show about an aspiring magician. Using stunningly innovative puppetry, Milo presents a variety of magic tricks which don’t always go as planned. This show is 50 minutes long and is recommended for all ages. 

Oct. 26: The Three Little Pigs by Crabgrass Puppet Theatre

In this new version of an old tale, the three little pigs have a problem: they’ve outgrown their home and need three new houses. That’s where their architect, B.B. Wolfe, comes in. But can Mr. Wolfe be trusted? The award-winning Crabgrass Puppet Theatre delivers a delightful and hilarious new take on an old tale, featuring beautiful puppetry, lively music, and three adorable pigs. This show is 45 minutes long and is recommended for ages 4+. Celebrate Trick-or-Treat in Downtown Storrs by wearing your Halloween costume to the show!

Nov. 16: Holiday Punch! by Modern Times Theater

Punch and Judy are almost ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. They’ve got the stuffing, the sweet potatoes, and the cranberry sauce. The only thing missing is the turkey. Audiences will split their sides laughing as Mr. Punch tries to catch the main dish, while avoiding crocodiles, his badly-behaved baby, and his dog Toby (who looks suspiciously like a skunk). The skillfully-operated hand puppets are chock-full of surprises and tricks, as is the elaborate stage. Holiday Punch! includes live music played on a variety of instruments, from the ukulele to the bicycle pump. This show is 45 minutes long and is recommended for all ages.

Dec. 7: Peter and the Wolf by National Marionette Theatre

Based on the original Russian folktale, National Marionette Theatre’s version of Prokofiev’s story features the beautiful music from his orchestral score combined with stunning scenery and hand-crafted marionettes. Set in turn-of-the-century Russia, the production tells the story of how Peter–along with his animal friends–captures the wolf. This show is 50 minutes long and is recommended for all ages.

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 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. Parking is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. For more information about these performances or if you require an accommodation to attend an event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

For its 2019 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host four free scintillating discussions with puppeteers, scholars, and artists on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. in September through December in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. These forums will illuminate new perspectives on the creation, history, aesthetics, and performance of puppetry today. The Fall Puppet Forum schedule will include the following talks: 

September 19: “Building Puppeteers: How We Got Here and Where are We Going” with Bart Roccoberton
In conjunction with the Ballard Institute’s exhibit It’s Always Pandemonium: The Puppets of Bart Roccoberton, on display through Sept. 29, join Professor Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr. in a discussion about the past, present, and future of UConn’s unique international resource: the UConn Puppet Arts Program. This event is co-sponsored by the UConn Puppet Arts Program.

October 24: “Critical and Historical Investigations into Women and Puppetry” with Claudia Orenstein, Alissa Mello, and Theodora Skipitares, moderated by UConn Puppet Arts graduate student Felicia Cooper
This forum will present editors of and contributors to an important new work of puppetry studies: Women and Puppetry: Critical and Historical Investigations. The anthology, dedicated to the study of women in the field of puppetry arts, and representing female writers and practitioners from across the globe, includes critical articles and personal accounts that interrogate specific historical moments, cultural contexts, and notions of “woman” on and off stage. This event is co-sponsored by UConn’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program and the UConn Women’s Center.

November 21: “Macy’s, Tony Sarg, and the Invention of Inflatable Puppets” with Robert Grippo, Christopher Hoskins, and John Bell, moderated by UConn School of Engineering Professor Mehdi Anwar
Robert Grippo and Christopher Hoskins, authors of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will join UConn School of Engineering Professor Mehdi Anwar and Ballard Institute Director John Bell in a discussion of the ground-breaking invention of inflatable puppets for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades by puppeteer Tony Sarg and engineers from the Goodyear Rubber Company. This event is co-sponsored by the UConn School of Engineering.

December 5: “Chasing Ghosts: Ten Years with the Shadow Puppeteers of China” with Annie Rollins
Annie Katsura Rollins—curator of the Ballard Institute exhibition Immaterial Remains: Can You Preserve a Shadow?—reflects on over a decade of apprenticeship and research with the traditional shadow puppeteers of China and the importance and (im)possibilities of chasing our own ghosts. This event is co-sponsored by UConn’s Asian and Asian American Studies Institute and the Asian-American Cultural Center.

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

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will once again offer fall community puppet-building workshops to design and build life-size and over-life-size puppets for a new Connecticut Pollinator Pageant to be performed at the Celebrate Mansfield Festival in Downtown Storrs. These free workshops will take place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14 and 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Ballard Institute, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. Workshop participants will be invited to perform in the community Connecticut Pollinator Pageant at the 16^th annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m.

The theme for this year’s Ballard Institute community pageant for the Celebrate Mansfield Festival is—Pollinators! Connecticut pollinators are not simply honeybees and bumblebees. In addition, there are scores of native flies, bees, butterflies, bats, and beetles that make important contributions to our lives by pollinating crops. Working together, workshop participants will create over-life-sized masks and puppets representing their favorite pollinators. These puppets and masks will then be part of The Connecticut Pollinator Pageant, to be performed in Betsy Paterson Square at the Celebrate Mansfield Festival on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m.

No experience is necessary to participate in these free community puppet-building workshops, but registration is requested. Participants can come for one or both days and are not required to stay for the entire time. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. To register for the workshop, or if you require accommodation to participate, contact the Ballard Institute at bimp@uconn.edu or 860-486-8580.

This community puppet project is sponsored by the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut and the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Inc. For more information about the 16^th Annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival, visit downtownstorrsfestival.org.

The Mansfield Downtown Partnership is an independent, non-profit organization comprised of the Town of Mansfield, the University of Connecticut, and individual business members and residents. The Partnership seeks to foster the continued development, management, and promotion of Downtown Storrs. For more information about the Partnership, visit mansfieldmdp.org.

As part of its 2019 Summertime Saturday Puppet Shows, the Ballard Institute and Museum is pleased to present Judy Saves the Day! by Puppet Showplace Theater’s Resident Artist and UConn Puppet Arts Program alumna Sarah Nolen on Aug. 10, 2019 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

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. This modern interpretation of the traditional Punch and Judy show is a hilarious, timely, handcrafted farce that the whole family will enjoy! The show is 45 minutes long and is recommended for ages 4+. 

Sarah Nolen is a puppeteer and filmmaker originally from Austin, TX. As Puppet Showplace Theater’s resident artist, she performs regularly for youth and family audiences and teaches puppetry in camps, workshops, residencies, and evening adult classes. Sarah earned her BFA in film from Southern Methodist University, and an MFA in Puppet Arts from the University of Connecticut. Known nationally for her versatile, witty, and innovative work across multiple puppetry styles, she has appeared in the National Puppet Slam, at the Puppets in Paradise Festival, and the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival. Sarah has toured internationally as part of the ensemble for Reverse Cascade, and has performed as principal puppeteer for the immersive multi-media show Pip’s Island in NYC. In Boston, she has worked closely with the Boston Pops Orchestra, performing as a puppeteer/narrator of Twas the Night Before Christmas, and designing and building a puppet of conductor Arthur Fiedler for Puppets Take the Pops. In addition to her work in puppetry, Sarah is an experienced filmmaker with credits ranging from reality shows and commercial broadcast TV to indie features and web ads. In 2015, she received the Mister Rogers Memorial Scholarship in support of her television pilot, Treeples, a show geared towards empowering girls, which screened at film festivals across the U.S. 

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 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. Parking is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. For more information about these performances or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

As part of its 2019 Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut is pleased to present Sheldon Explains It All: Under the Sea! by UConn Dramatic Arts graduate student Zach Broome on Aug. 3, 2019 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

Sheldon the turtle is back, and this time he is exploring his roots as he shows you all of cool, colorful plants and animals of the sea. Join him as he basks in the sun with crabs and starfish, follow close behind him as he navigates the treacherous waters inhabited by jelly fish and electric eels, and bring along your scuba gear as he takes you on a dive into the world of some of the weirdest, wildest creatures of the deep. This show is 45 minutes long and is recommended for ages 4+. 

Zach Broome is a graduate student at UConn where he studies Puppet Arts and Scenic Design.  Originally from Georgia, Zach moved to Connecticut in 2015, and the frigid winter temperatures, snow, and ice have yet to drive him away. During his time in Connecticut, Zach has worked on a number of puppet-related productions. In 2016, he and his fellow student developed Puppets Take the Pops, a puppet production performed in conjunction with the Boston Pops.  Zach designed puppets for the Connecticut Repertory Theatre productions of Shrek: The Musical and She Kills Monsters in 2016 and 2017, respectively. He also performed in UConn Puppet Slams and at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry in previous Summer Series productions of Superheroes, Villains, and Spaceships, Oh My! with Anatar Marmol-Gagne (2016) and Sheldon Explains It All (2017).  

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 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. Parking is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. For more information about these performances or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

As part of its 2019 Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut is pleased to present Cinderella in the Wild West by Robert Rogers Puppet Company on July 27, 2019 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

Cinderella in the Wild West is an all-American version of the famous Brothers Grimm fairytale. Cindy Lou lives on the homestead of Cavalcade Annie, who keeps her busy washing clothes, mending fences, sweeping the barn and slopping the hogs. But Cindy dreams of a better life. Instead of a Fairy Godmother, she is helped by a magical Native American spirit guide. And rather than dancing at a Prince’s Ball, she competes in the famous King Kornkob Rodeo on the back of a bucking bronco. This show is 45 minutes long and is recommended for ages 3+. 

After more than thirty years, hundreds of puppets, and dozens of productions, New York State puppeteer Robert Rogers has made thousands of appearances in performing arts centers, universities, museums, and schools across the country. Internationally, he has appeared in the Neopolis Children’s Theater Festival in Nabeul, Tunisia; the Global Puppet Theater Festival in Kaohsiung, Taiwan; the World Puppet Festival in Prague, Czech Republic; the Puppets Up! Festival in Almonte, Canada; the Children’s Palace in Beijing, People’s Republic of China; and FANA, the Foundation for the Assistance of Abandoned Children in Bogota, Colombia. Besides being an accomplished theater producer, director, playwright and designer, Robert has devoted much time to teaching young people the art of puppetry as a means of self-expression, and has been an advocate of integrating the performing arts into the public school curriculum. In 1999 he established the American Puppetry Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students explore topics of study in the classroom by means of puppet-making and dramatic arts workshops and residencies. Robert received his B.F.A. from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He was also the subject of an episode of the PBS television series, Expressions, produced by WSKG-TV.

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 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. Parking is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. For more information about these performances or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

As part of its 2019 Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut is pleased to present A Woodland Cinderella by Deborah Costine on July 20, 2019 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

Cinderella is a fairy who lives with her stepmother and stepsister in an enormous old tree in the forest. The King of all woodland fairies wants his son to marry a fairy princess, but none can be found. The Prince is looking for someone who is kind and good. The mean stepsister is sure that having the most stuff makes her the best. The King hosts a great ball and commands that every single fairy maiden in the land must attend. He is hoping that a fairy princess will come, and he knows the secret to identifying a true fairy princess. This show is 45 minutes long and is recommended for ages 4+.

Since 1974, Deborah Costine has been one half of the well-known Gerwick Puppets, touring throughout New England at schools, libraries, museums and such events as First Night Boston. She writes the scripts with partner Lenny Gerwick, and makes all the puppets. She estimates that over the past thirty years she has made over two hundred puppets! The Gerwick Puppets have presented over 5,000 performances to over a million children. Beside her work with Gerwick, Debbie designs, constructs and performs her own solo shows called “Small Shows for Small Groups of Small Children.” She has taught puppetry classes at Plymouth State University, Northeastern University, and Worcester State College. She created a set of eight puppets for the National Park Service to teach about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railway. She has done professional voice work, and plays numerous characters on the Verizon website superthinkers.com. “My current direction centers around a combined love of nature, children and a concern for the environment,” Costine says.  “I wish to create opportunities through my puppet performances as well as hands-on activities for children and families that encourage a love and appreciation of the outdoors. I believe that human-kind benefits greatly from a strong connection with nature.”

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 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. Parking is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. For more information about these performances or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host its Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series on five Saturdays from July 13 to August 10, 2019, featuring an exciting variety of puppet styles. 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 in Downtown Storrs.

The schedule of the Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series includes the following:

July 13: Aesop’s Fables by Tuckers’ Tales Puppet Theatre

Aesop, one of the greatest storytellers of the ancient world, had a great sense of humor. And it’s a good thing, because when Tuckers’ Tales tells his stories, they take a few unexpected twists. The Tortoise & the Hare is a hare-raising adventure of Olympic proportions; in The Fox & the Crow the crow’s meal is interrupted by a lesson in the dangers of self-admiration. The Ant & the Grasshopper advises us to take care before you wind up as a “grass-sicle” in winter’s freezer; and The Frog & the Ox shows that sometimes trying to prove that you are not impressed with immensity may have immense consequences! This show is 40 minutes long and is recommended for ages 3+.

July 20: A Woodland Cinderella by Deborah Costine Nature Puppets

Cinderella is a fairy who lives with her stepmother and stepsister in an enormous old tree in the forest. The King of all woodland fairies wants his son to marry a fairy princess, but none can be found. The Prince is looking for someone who is kind and good. The mean stepsister is sure that having the most stuff makes her the best. The King hosts a great ball and commands that every single fairy maiden in the land must attend. He is hoping that a fairy princess will come, and he knows the secret to identifying a true fairy princess. This show is 45 minutes and recommended for ages 4+.

July 27: Cinderella in the Wild West by Robert Rogers Puppet Company

This Cinderella is an All-American version of the famous fairytale. Cindy Lou lives on a ranch where she’s learned the skills of roping cattle and riding horses. Instead of a Fairy Godmother, she relies on the help of a Native American spirit guide, and instead of dancing at the Prince’s ball she competes in a rodeo on the back of a bucking bronco. This show is 45 minutes and is recommended for ages 3+.

August 3: Sheldon Explains It All: Under the Sea! by Zach Broome

Sheldon the turtle is back, and this time he is exploring his roots as he shows you all of the cool, colorful plants and animals of the sea. Join him as he basks in the sun with crabs and starfish; follow close behind him as he navigates the treacherous waters inhabited by jelly fish and electric eels; and bring along your scuba gear as he takes you on a dive into the world of some of the weirdest, wildest creatures of the deep. This show, by UConn Dramatic Arts graduate student Zach Broome, is 45 minutes and recommended for ages 4+.

August 10: Judy Saves the Day! by Sarah Nolen

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. This modern interpretation of the traditional Punch and Judy show by Puppet Showplace Theater Resident Artist (and UConn Puppet Arts alumna) Sarah Nolen is a hilarious, timely, handcrafted farce that the whole family will enjoy! This show is 45 minutes and recommended for ages 4+.

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 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. Parking is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. For more information about these performances or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will participate in the 15^th Annual Connecticut Open House Day – a unified celebration of the state’s fascinating world of art, history, and tourism – on June 8, 2019. During this one-day event, the Ballard Institute will offer free tours at 1 and 3 p.m. of its current exhibitions: The World of Puppetry: From the Collections of the Ballard Institute and It’s Always Pandemonium: The Puppets of Bart Roccoberton, which features over 90 works by UConn Puppet Arts Program Director Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr.

On Connecticut Open House Day, more than 200 other organizations and attractions throughout the state will open their doors and offer special incentives to visitors. This exciting statewide event, sponsored by the Connecticut Office of Tourism (COT), is designed to broaden awareness among residents of Connecticut’s exceptional cultural and tourism assets and encourage them to become ambassadors who share their newfound discoveries with visiting family and friends.

The Ballard Institute’s free tours at 1 and 3 p.m. will feature these current exhibitions:

• The World of Puppetry: From the Collections of the Ballard Institute showcases an array of different puppets carefully selected from the Ballard Institute collections to reflect the amazing richness of global puppet traditions and contemporary innovations in puppetry. The exhibition includes a variety of hand puppets, marionettes, rod puppets, toy theaters, and shadow figures from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, with particular attention to twentieth-century United States puppetry.
• It’s Always Pandemonium celebrates the ongoing puppetry career of Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr., from his touring days performing with his troupe the Pandemonium Puppet Company; to his founding of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s Institute of Professional Puppetry Arts; and now, to his work building puppets and puppeteers as Director of the UConn Puppet Arts Program. It’s Always Pandemonium, curated by UConn Puppet Arts MFA candidate Matt Sorensen, features over 60 puppets, masterfully designed and crafted by Bart Roccoberton, his Pandemonium collaborators, and countless UConn Puppet Arts students under his guidance.

To qualify for any Open House Day special, at least one person in each visiting group must show a valid Connecticut driver’s license. Connecticut Open House Day also includes opportunities to become a Connecticut Ambassador as part of COT’s Ambassador Program, an ongoing initiative designed to cultivate pride among residents in the state’s many diverse historic, arts, tourism and entertainment treasures. For more information about Connecticut Open House Day, visit www.CTvisit.com or call 1-888-CTvisit.

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visitors can park in the Storrs Center Garage located at 33 Royce Circle. Parking in the Storrs Center Garage is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. For more information about museum exhibitions or programming, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860-486-8580. If you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu by June 3.