The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and the UConn Puppet Arts Program will present the 2017 UConn Fall Puppet Slam on Friday, September 15, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. in UConn’s Nafe Katter Theatre. The UConn Fall Puppet Slam will feature short works by professional puppeteers and performers, including Lone Wolf Tribe, Veronica Barron, and Isaac Bloodworth, as well as new works for puppet and object theater by students from UConn’s School of Fine Arts.

The 2017 UConn Fall 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 Puppet Arts alumnus and New Haven puppeteer Isaac Bloodworth will perform Curled, a crankie (moving scroll performance) about a black girl who is ordered to change her hairstyle in order to attend school. Boston-based theater artist and musician Veronica Barron will perform two pieces, Black is the Color and My Eyes Off of You. In addition, the UConn Fall Puppet Slam will feature new works by UConn graduate and undergraduate students studying puppetry, digital animation, and stop-motion filmmaking. The UConn Fall Puppet Slam will be hosted by UConn Puppet Arts graduate Shane C.S. McNeal, performing as the eccentric Doctor Thaddeus J. Foster, whose unique brand of storytelling brings a hint of the strange and a twist of the macabre to the stage. Funding for the UConn Fall Puppet Slam is made possible in part by the HBH fund, created by Heather Henson.

The UConn Fall Puppet Slam is free and open to the public; donations are greatly appreciated. Seating is limited and is on a first-come, first served basis. The event will take place in UConn’s Nafe Katter Theatre located at 820 Bolton Rd, Storrs, Connecticut. For directions to the Nafe Katter Theatre, visit crt.uconn.edu/directions/. These performances are recommended for mature audiences. For more information, call the Ballard Institute at 860-486-8580, visit bimp.uconn.edu, or email us at bimp@uconn.edu.

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host its Fall Puppet Performance Series on four Saturdays from September to December 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 in Storrs Center. Productions and dates include:

September 23: The Case of the Missing Kitten by WonderSpark Puppets—When a cute kitten goes missing, only one detective is clever enough, brave enough, and smart enough to solve the case—Mystery Max! Join Max on a wild adventure to find Nancy’s missing kitten. Along the way, meet crazy characters, make new friends, sing songs and find clues in this classic whodunit by this New York-based company, which includes Chad Williams, UConn Puppet Arts alumna Lindsey “Z” Briggs, and Jenny Hann. Recommended for children 3+.
 

October 14: The Perils of Mr. Punch by Modern Times Theater—The Perils of Mr. Punch follows the troubles and travails of puppetry’s favorite loudmouth, Mr. Punch, as performed by Vermont puppeteers Rose Friedman and Justin Lander. The performance includes a two-person orchestra, classic jokes and gags, and audience participation in this delightful revival of the classic puppet trickster. The show is appropriate for children of all ages.

 

November 4: Sleeping Beauty by Tanglewood Marionettes—In this dazzling retelling of the beloved fairy tale, King Felix’s court is thrown into turmoil when the Wicked Witch bestows a curse on the newborn Princess Aurora. Come see if the curse will come true as this famed Massachusetts company performs with beautifully handcrafted marionettes brought to life by master puppeteer Peter Schaefer. Recommended for ages 4+.

 

December 2: Santa Got Fired and Other Silly Stories by Nappy’s Puppets—Celebrated Connecticut puppeteer (and UConn Puppet Arts alumnus) Jim “Nappy” Napolitano will tell the tale of how Santa got his job as well as other fun and silly shadow puppet stories. Santa Got Fired will entertain, inspire and educate the audience on the range and scope of puppetry as an art form. The show is 45 minutes long and is recommended for ages 3+.

 

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 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

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will once again offer fall community puppet-building workshops with acclaimed Boston puppeteer Sara Peattie, to design and build over-life-size puppets of army ants and their associated species (“guests”) for the Celebrate Mansfield Parade and a special Army Ant Pageant with the Hartford Hot Several Brass Band in Storrs, Connecticut. These free workshops will take place Saturday and Sunday, September 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Ballard Institute located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center. Workshop participants will be invited to parade with the Army Ant puppets as part of the Celebrate Mansfield Parade on Sunday, September 17 at noon (line-up begins at 10:30 a.m. at Farrell Field near the Post Office), and then perform in the Ant Migration Pageant, an open-air community spectacle directed by Sara Peattie that will use the puppets and music by the Hartford Hot Several to tell the exciting story of army ants and their “guests.” The Parade is a part of the 14th Annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival.

This year’s workshop theme is part of AntU, an endeavor at UConn designed to involve a variety of academic disciplines to engage a broad audience in the wonders of the complex biological systems of army ants and their hundreds of associated species (“guests”). It is an idea borne out of an award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Collections in Support of Biological Research program to the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB), in partnership with the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History (CSMNH), to preserve and curate the Carl W. and Marian E. Rettenmeyer Army Ant Guest Collection. This world-class collection of over two million army ants and their guests is the result of 50 years of careful, detailed fieldwork in Central and South America by the Rettenmeyers. To learn more about AntU, visit web.uconn.edu/mnh/antu.

Workshop leader Sara Peattie, whose work is on display at the Ballard Institute in Obstreperous Puppets: Puppeteers Cooperative until October 8, 2017, is known for her dramatic creations that have become a central feature of community parades and pageants across the United States. Long a mainstay of Boston First Night festivities and the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New York City, Sara Peattie’s work—through her Boston-based Puppeteers Cooperative company and Puppet Free Library—combines community participation; simple, cheap, and practical puppet-building techniques; and a brilliant design sense to allow community members of all ages to take part in the age-old pleasures of participatory puppet performance in public spaces.

No experience is necessary to participate in these free community puppet-building workshops with Sara Peattie. 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, 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 14th Annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival, visit www.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 Storrs Center – a vibrant and economically successful community in the heart of Mansfield. For more information about the Partnership, visit https://www.mansfieldmdp.org/.

As part of its popular Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series of new works by UConn Puppet Arts students and alumni for family audiences, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will present The Superhero Within: Episode 2! by Puppet Arts MFA student Anatar Marmol-Gagné on Saturday, August 12 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs Center.

It’s summer break at Superhero Academy and Alex & Sage can’t wait for their summer adventures to begin. They quickly learn that being a superhero cadet is a full-time job when villains start to ruin their holiday. With the help of The Vigilantes, Alex & Sage will stop at nothing to get their summer back! Recommended for all ages.

Anatar Marmol-Gagné is originally from Caracas, Venezuela. She is an MFA candidate in the Puppet Arts Program at the University of Connecticut and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Creative Writing from Hunter College. Her strong background in art, dance, writing, fiber and fabrication all comes together seamlessly with her love for puppetry. As a puppeteer, Anatar has trained at the National Puppetry Conference at the O’Neill Theater Center, taught children’s puppet workshops, performed in puppet slams and festivals, and founded and curates the Pinned & Sewtured Puppet Slam in New Haven, CT. Anatar created the original episode of The Superhero Within as her Master of Fine Arts project in the UConn Puppet Arts Program.

Admission is $6 for children (12 years and under), $8 for adults.

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 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 these performances, call 860-486-8580.

As part of its popular Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series of new works by UConn Puppet Arts students and alumni for family audiences, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Sheldon Explains It All by Puppet Arts MFA student Zach Broome on Saturday, August 5 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs Center.

Sheldon is a turtle, and he is scared of everything: absolutely everything. What scare him the most are the things he doesn’t know yet. Join Sheldon as he learns about everything under the sun and shares all of his new knowledge with you. Recommended for ages 5+.

Zach Broome, originally from Macon, Georgia, is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Puppet Arts at UConn. Zach’s puppet creations recently appeared in the Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s production of Shrek: The Musical. His puppet work will also appear next spring in the CRT production of She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen.

The final Summertime Saturday Puppet Show is:

August 12 – The Superhero Within: Episode 2! by Anatar Marmol Gagné

It’s summer break from Superhero Academy and Alex and Sage can’t wait for their summer adventures. They quickly learn that even though they are superhero cadets, villains will try everything to ruin their holiday. With the help of the Vigilantes, Alex and Sage will stop at nothing to get their summer back! Recommended for all ages.

Admission is $6 for children (12 years and under), $8 for adults.

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 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 these performances, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860-486-8580.

As part of its popular Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series of new works by UConn Puppet Arts students and alumni for family audiences, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will present 100 Birds by the talented 2017 graduate John Cody on Saturday, July 29 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs Center.

A magical and whimsical, if not slightly chaotic, group of birds have flocked to the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry! 100 Birds follows Jada Jones, captain of her middle school’s basketball team, who finds out that her school doesn’t have the money to get the team to their playoff game. The 100 Birds, an intergalactic troupe of feathered friends, come from outer space to help Jada after she wishes upon a shooting star for help. Using their skills as birds and their love of math, the avian crew bands together with Jada to host the biggest fundraiser ever and create the world’s largest pizza! But the nefarious Dr. Allundrious Pepper, who hates birds, is dead set on foiling their plans. Will Jada and the birds make it out alive, giblets and all? Speaking to his creative process, Cody explains “this fantastical, silly dose of positive entertainment came about in the middle of the night, which sounds far more dramatic than it actually was. I came up with the title of 100 Birds, and the next day I came up with three sentence stories that could serve this title … I have found this brainstorming method particularly effective, and it was through these short stories I wrote that the seed of the show’s story was planted.”

John Cody ‘17, along with fellow UConn Puppet Arts Program undergraduate student Katayoun Amir-Aslani ‘18 weave together rod puppets, hand puppets, string puppets, and more into an experience that both adults and children will love, with a focus on comedy and positivity. “I think children are far smarter than adults give them credit, and I have developed 100 Birds with that in mind. 100 Birds is not a show that I am making for children, but rather is something that I, as a young adult, would like to see, with audiences young and old taken into account when it comes to the exact vocabulary of the show,” states Cody. This show was made possible by UConn’s IDEA Grant, which provides funding for independent projects by undergraduate students.

John Cody is a New York-based puppeteer who graduated with a BFA in Puppet Arts in May 2017. Deciding he wanted to be a puppeteer before the age of five, John has since worked on many projects of all different kinds, from marionettes to hand puppets to giant character costumes. He has had the tremendous opportunity to learn and work alongside some of the folks behind The Muppets, Sesame Street, and Bear in the Big Blue House.

Upcoming Summertime Saturday Puppet Shows include:

August 5 – Sheldon Explains It All by Zach Broome

Sheldon is a turtle, and he is scared of everything: absolutely everything. What scares him the most are the things he doesn’t yet know. Join Sheldon as he learns about everything under the sun and shares all of his new knowledge with you. Recommended for ages 5+.

August 12 – The Superhero Within: Episode 2! by Anatar Marmol Gagné

It’s summer break from Superhero Academy and Alex and Sage can’t wait for their summer adventures. They quickly learn that even though they are superhero cadets, villains will try everything to ruin their holiday. With the help of the Vigilantes, Alex and Sage will stop at nothing to get their summer back! Recommended for all ages.

Admission is $6 for children (12 years and under), $8 for adults.

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 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 these performances, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860.486.8580.

As part of its popular Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series of new works by UConn Puppet Arts students and alumni for family audiences, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will present Uncle Vlad’s Summer Spook-tacular by Puppet Arts MFA student and Connecticut native Shane McNeal on Saturday, July 22 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs Center.

Join us for an afternoon of merry monsters, whimsical werewolves, and groovy ghouls, as our batty host, Uncle Vlad, uses hand and shadow puppetry to regale audiences with not-so-spooky stories he’s discovered while on his annual summer road trip! Audiences will laugh along as they witness the softer side of the creatures of the night. Bring a touch of the witching hour to your summer season with this terror-ific puppet show! This show is recommended for all ages.

Shane McNeal, MFA candidate in the UConn Puppet Arts Program, has been creating, designing, and performing for puppet theater and film since 2008. He has worked as a puppeteer with a wide range of artists and organizations including the Silk City Chorus, Hartford-based artist Anne Cubberly, Connecticut Repertory Theatre and the Boston Pops. He returns to the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry after his family-friendly performances of Canteen Tales: Quest for the Golden Spork and Victoria’s Not So Bedtime Stories, which debuted in last year’s Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series, and his performance of Canteen Tales: The Curse of Bread Beard earlier this summer.

Upcoming Summertime Saturday Puppet Shows include:

July 29 – 100 Birds by John Cody

The 100 Birds, an intergalactic troupe of feathered friends, come to help Jada Jones, captain of her middle school’s basketball team, after she wishes upon a shooting star for help in getting her team to their playoff game. Using their love of math, the avian crew bands together with Jada to host the biggest fundraiser ever and create the world’s largest pizza! Recommended for ages 5+.

August 5 – Sheldon Explains It All by Zach Broome

Sheldon is a turtle, and he is scared of everything: absolutely everything. What scares him the most are the things he doesn’t yet know. Join Sheldon as he learns about everything under the sun and shares all of his new knowledge with you. Recommended for ages 5+.

August 12 – The Superhero Within: Episode 2! by Anatar Marmol Gagné

It’s summer break from Superhero Academy and Alex and Sage can’t wait for their summer adventures. They quickly learn that even though they are superhero cadets, villains will try everything to ruin their holiday. With the help of the Vigilantes, Alex and Sage will stop at nothing to get their summer back! Recommended for all ages.

Admission is $6 for children (12 years and under), $8 for adults.

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 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 these performances, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860.486.8580.

As part of its popular Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series of new works by UConn Puppet Arts students and alumni for family audiences, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Sweven by Puppet Arts MFA student Anatar Marmol-Gagné on Saturday, July 15 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs Center.

Dotty has been seeing monsters ever since she can remember, but no one will believe her. Some are malicious and live in her closet, some are mysterious and are under her bed. The real question is: are these monsters real, or just in her head? Join Dotty as she sets out to find the truth behind the swevens she has seen. This show is recommended for ages 5+.

Anatar Marmol-Gagné is originally from Caracas, Venezuela. She is an MFA candidate in the Puppet Arts Program at the University of Connecticut and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Creative Writing from Hunter College. Her strong background in art, dance, writing, fiber and fabrication all comes together seamlessly with her love for puppetry. As a puppeteer, Anatar has trained at the National Puppetry Conference at the O’Neill Theater Center, taught children’s puppet workshops, performed in puppet slams and festivals, and founded and curates the Pinned & Sewtured Puppet Slam in New Haven, CT.

Upcoming Summertime Saturday Puppet Shows include:

July 22 – Uncle Vlad’s Summer Spook-tacular by Shane McNeal

Join us for an afternoon of merry monsters, whimsical werewolves, and groovy ghouls, as our batty host, Uncle Vlad, uses hand and shadow puppetry to regale audiences with not-so-spooky stories he’s discovered while on his annual summer road trip! Audiences will laugh along as they witness the softer side of the creatures of the night. Bring a touch of the witching hour to your summer season with this terror-ific puppet show! This show is recommended for all ages.

July 29 – 100 Birds by John Cody

The 100 Birds, an intergalactic troupe of feathered friends, come to help Jada Jones, captain of her middle school’s basketball team, after she wishes upon a shooting star for help in getting her team to their playoff game. Using their love of math, the avian crew bands together with Jada to host the biggest fundraiser ever and create the world’s largest pizza! Recommended for ages 5+.

August 5 – Sheldon Explains It All by Zach Broome

Sheldon is a turtle, and he is scared of everything: absolutely everything.  What scares him the most are the things he doesn’t yet know. Join Sheldon as he learns about everything under the sun and shares all of his new knowledge with you. Recommended for ages 5+.

August 12 – The Superhero Within: Episode 2! by Anatar Marmol Gagné

It’s summer break at Superhero Academy and Alex & Sage can’t wait for their summer adventures to begin. They quickly learn that being a superhero cadet is a full time job when villains start to ruin their holiday. With the help of The Vigilantes, Alex & Sage will stop at nothing to get their summer back! Recommended for all ages.

Admission is $6 for children (12 years and under), $8 for adults. 

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 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 these performances, call 860.486.8580.

The Ballard Institute will be closed on Tuesday, July 4. The museum will reopen for regular business hours on Wednesday, July 5. Happy 4th of July!

As part of its popular Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series of new works by UConn Puppet Arts students and alumni for family audiences, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will present Punch & Jilly by Puppet Arts MFA student Mark Blashford on Saturday, July 8 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs Center.

Punch & Jilly is a rollicking hand-puppet spectacle performed in the British Punch & Judy show tradition with a Connecticut Yankee twist. Mr. Punch the trickster is back again, and this time he is joined by a stubborn dairy cow named Jilly. Watch Punch and Jilly look after a baby, escape a crocodile, outsmart the Devil, and cause all sorts of mischief. Judy will be there too! How will she deal with all of the tomfoolery this time? This show is for ages 5+.

Mark Blashford is an actor, puppeteer, and musician from Pennsylvania. His recent stage credits include: Band of the Black Hand, Twelfth Night, and Peter and the Starcatcher at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre; and Jack & Jill, the culminating project for his Master of Fine Arts degree from the Puppet Arts Program, which he performed at the Ballard Institute Theater and on the Betsy Paterson Town Square in Storrs earlier this spring. Blashford has worked on several UConn Puppet Arts productions including Ancestral, Treeples, El Beto, and Puppets Take the Pops! with the Boston Pops. Mark has also performed at Hartford’s March of Dimes, Envision Fest, and in Anne Cubberly’s Night Fall.

You can learn more about other upcoming Summertime Saturday Puppet Show Series here. 

Admission is $6 for children (12 years and under), $8 for adults.

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 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 these performances, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860.486.8580.