As part of its 2018 Spring Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present The Pied Piper of Hamelin by CactusHead Puppets on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

The town of Hamelin has a rat problem, and there’s only one person who can help! CactusHead Puppets brings the story of The Pied Piper to life in this comedic, updated adaptation of the traditional folktale. Not only does the town find a musical solution to pest control, but the kids of Hamelin also teach the grownups a lesson about generosity. In the end, the townspeople all come together in celebration. Join puppeteers John and Megan Regan (both graduates of UConn’s Puppet Arts Program) as they present this classic tale, told with multiple puppetry styles, and plenty of dancing rats! The Pied Piper of Hamelin is 40 minutes long and is recommended for ages 4+, but all ages are welcome to attend.

CactusHead Puppets was started in 2010 by husband and wife team John and Megan Regan soon after they graduated from UConn. Since then they have created six shows based on favorite and familiar folktales, and have toured throughout the Northeast. Megan is originally from the Kansas City area, where she worked with Paul Mesner Puppets. John is from western Massachusetts, and is honored to be performing in some of the same venues where he saw puppet shows growing up. CactusHead Puppets also hosts the annual Paper City Puppet Slam in Holyoke, MA.

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 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 the 2018 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will present a discussion with director Madeline Sayet and puppet designer Zach Broome entitled Direction and Collaboration: Making Theater with Actors and Puppets on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Exciting young director, writer, performer, and educator Madeline Sayet, together with puppet designer and UConn Puppet Arts graduate student Zachary Broome discuss puppetry and the collaborative process in the making of Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s production of Qui Nguyen’s play She Kills Monsters, a performance which integrates traditional acting as well as elaborate costumes and puppets. This forum is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Repertory Theatre. 

She Kills Monsters, which runs from March 22 to March 31 at UConn’s Studio Theatre, finds an intriguing balance between comedy and themes of death and loss, while appealing to the geek in us all. After the loss of her little sister Tilly in a car accident, Agnes attempts to get to know her better through the Dungeons and Dragons notebook she left behind. Immersed in a wild adventure of a fantasy world full of monsters, homicidal fairies and elves, and 90s pop culture, Agnes learns more about her sister and the misunderstood gaming world she was a part of before she was abruptly taken away. Find out more and buy tickets by visiting crt.uconn.edu.

Madeline Sayet is a director of new plays, classics and opera, and was just named to Forbes magazine’s “30 under 30” List of “youthful visionaries” for 2018 in the category of Hollywood & Entertainment. She is a TED Fellow, MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, an O’Neill/Kennedy Center/NNPN National Directing Fellow and a Ph.D. candidate at the Shakespeare Institute (Stratford-upon-Avon, UK), where she is writing about Native representation in 21^st-century Shakespearean performance and the long history from which it stems. Sayet was the Resident Director at Amerinda (American Indian Artists) Inc. in New York from 2013-2016 where she developed new plays by Native playwrights and launched the Native American Shakespeare Ensemble. In 2011, she received The White House Champion of Change Award from President Barack Obama for her work as a writer, director, performer, and educator. Her work uses minimalist magical realism to interrogate questions of gendering and indigenous perspectives, and to reimagine classic plays to give voice to those that have been silenced. You can read more at www.madelinesayet.com.

Zach Broome is a graduate student pursuing an MFA degree in Puppet Arts at UConn. He has a background in technical theater and visual art and enjoys designing and fabricating puppets. Two of his puppets recently appeared in the gallery exhibit at the National Puppetry Festival in St. Paul, Minnesota. Zach hopes to find work that allows him to blend his love for puppetry, art, and traditional theater.

Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. Come early, and visit our new “American Puppet Modernism: The Early 20th Century” exhibition, as well as the video resources in our library nook. 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. Forums will be broadcast via Facebook Live. Call 860-486-8580 for more information.

As part of its 2018 Spring Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is pleased to welcome back Boston-area puppeteer and UConn Puppet Arts alumna Faye Dupras to perform I Spy Butterfly on March 24, 2018 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

How does a nature-loving explorer kid become a bug’s best friend? Find out in this delightful eco-story about the ways we all grow and change. When Trudy’s caterpillar friend Harold suddenly transforms into a chrysalis, she’s determined to do the same. Just when she is about to give up hope, she learns that her tiny friend needs her now more than ever. Live music, colorful critters, and oodles of audience interaction make this show a fun ecological romp in the wild! This show is 45 minutes long and is recommended for ages 3+ (but all ages are welcome to attend!).

Faye Dupras is a theater artist who began her puppet journey over twenty years ago when she met and apprenticed under her childhood hero, puppeteer Noreen Young. Since then she has performed around the world and has worked as a director, designer, and educator throughout Eastern Canada and the United States. In 2004 Faye founded Foreign Landscapes Productions, a company whose mission it to produce and tour engaging original puppet shows for peoples of all ages. Critics have described Faye’s award winning shows as “spellbinding,” “imaginative,” and “powerful.” Faye is excited to return to her alma mater to perform her new work.

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 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 2018 Spring Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a special international performance of Plastic by Montreal’s Puzzle Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

What is more surprising than a plastic-bag world, where funny and colorful creatures are born and transform themselves as much as they like? In Puzzle Theatre’s Plastic, plastic bags fill themselves, empty themselves, fly, eat each other, are bored—in other words, they exist! Step by step they reveal their nature: they are primitive, naïve, and funny, and they resemble us a little bit… maybe… Remaining faithful to their artistic roots, Puzzle Theatre offers an original, multicolored performance with unusual puppets created on the spot with plastic bags, filled humor and unexpected situations. The show, created and performed by Pavla Mano and Csaba Raduly with music by Petya Nedeva, is 40 minutes long and recommended for ages 5+.

Created in Bulgaria in 1996, and based in Montreal since 2004, Puzzle Theatre has developed a unique style that mixes various genres. Combining objects, puppets and actors, Puzzle Theatre works with a colorful amalgam of styles and widely diverse means of expression. The company includes artistic director Pavla Mano; actor and creator Csaba Raduly; and set and costume designer Ivan Stavrev.

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 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 the 2018 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with Steve Abrams, John Bell, and Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr. entitled American Puppet Modernism: The Early 20th Century on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Puppetry Journal editor Steve Abrams, UConn Puppet Arts Program Director Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr., and Ballard Institute Director John Bell discuss the fascinating discoveries and innovations of early 20th-century puppetry in the U.S., from cross-country touring shows to inflatable puppets and avant-garde operas. This forum is presented in conjunction with the Ballard Institute exhibition American Puppet Modernism: The Early 20th Century, which will be on display from Feb. 22 – July 1, 2018.

Steve Abrams became Editor of Puppetry Journal in 2016 after 16 years as Associate Editor, and is also the North American Editor of the World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts. Abrams has served as the President of Puppeteers of America, and was a delegate to the 20th international puppetry congress in Perth, Australia. He is a recipient of the George Latshaw Award for writing about puppetry. 

Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr. is the Director of the University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts Program, a unique offering in the United States, granting BFA, MA, and MFA degrees in the Art of Puppetry. His professional projects include work in film, television and the stage, including Broadway. He serves the National Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center as Director of Production. Roccoberton is recognized internationally as an advocate for the puppet arts in the United States.

John Bell is Director of the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and an Associate Professor of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut. He is a founding member of Great Small Works theater company, and was a member of the Bread and Puppet Theater from 1975 to 1985. He earned his Ph.D. in theater history from Columbia University in 1993. Bell is the author of American Puppet Modernism (2008); edited Puppets, Masks, and Performing Objects (2001); and co-edited The Routledge Companion to Puppetry and Material Performance (2014). He has been a contributing editor of Puppetry International since 1994.

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. 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. This forum will be broadcast via Facebook Live. Call 860-486-8580 for more information or visit bimp.uconn.edu.

From February 12-21, 2018, Ballard Institute staff will be installing our new exhibition American Puppet Modernism: The Early 20th Century.  While the main galleries at the Ballard Institute will be closed during this process, the museum will remain open during normal business hours, and The World of Puppetry: From the Collections of the Ballard Institute will be on display in the lobby.

We  invite you to join us for the grand opening of American Puppet Modernism on February 22 at 6 p.m. at the Ballard Institute. The opening events will include refreshments and a free tour by Ballard Institute Director John Bell.

For its 2018 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host four free scintillating discussions with puppeteers, historians, directors, and builders on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. in Feb. through April at in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center. These forums will illuminate new perspectives on the creation, history, aesthetics, and performance of puppetry today. The Spring Puppet Forum schedule will include the following talks:

Feb. 8: Nurturing New Work for Puppet Theater: the Jim Henson Foundation with Cheryl Henson, Richard Termine, Z Briggs, and Leslee Asch

Join Jim Henson Foundation President Cheryl Henson, board members Leslee Asch and Richard Termine (a Puppet Arts Program alumnus), and foundation manager Z Briggs (also a Puppet Arts alumna) in a discussion about the foundation’s dynamic methods of supporting innovative new puppet productions across the United States.

 March 1: American Puppet Modernism: The Early 20th Century with Steve Abrams, John Bell, and Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr.

In conjunction with the Ballard Institute’s new American Puppet Modernism exhibition, Puppetry Journal editor Steve Abrams, Puppet Arts Program Director Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr., and Ballard Institute Director John Bell discuss the fascinating history of early 20th-century puppetry in the U.S., from cross-country touring shows to giant inflatable puppets, avant-garde operas and other ground-breaking innovations.

April 12: Direction and Collaboration: Making Theater with Actors and Puppets with Madeline Sayet and Zach Broome

Exciting young director, writer, performer, and educator Madeline Sayet, together with puppet designer and Puppet Arts graduate student Zachary Broome discuss puppetry and the collaborative process in the making of Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s Spring 2018 production of She Kills Monsters. This forum is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Repertory Theatre.

April 26: Puppets and Film: Paul Spirito’s Ancestral with Paul Spirito

Director, puppeteer, and Puppet Arts technical supervisor Paul Spirito discusses the process and dynamics of his new puppet film Ancestral, shot entirely on UConn’s Depot Campus.

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.

As part of the 2018 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with Cheryl Henson, Leslee Asch, Lindsey “Z” Briggs, and Richard Termine titled Nurturing New Work for Puppet Theater: The Jim Henson Foundation on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Join Jim Henson Foundation President Cheryl Henson, board members Leslee Asch and Richard Termine (a Puppet Arts Program alumnus), and foundation manager Lindsey “Z” Briggs (also a Puppet Arts alumna) in a discussion about the foundation’s dynamic methods of supporting innovative new puppet productions across the United States.

The Jim Henson Foundation was founded in 1982 by Muppets creator Jim Henson to promote and develop the art of puppetry in the United States. Each year the Foundation introduces thousands of adults and families to the magic of puppet theater through grant-making and public awareness efforts. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over 900 grants to more than 300 American puppet artists for the creation and development of new work. As the only grant-making institution with a mission to promote puppetry in the United States, The Jim Henson Foundation has become a major advocate and resource for puppet artists.

Cheryl Henson is the President of The Jim Henson Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of The Jim Henson Company. Cheryl was Executive Producer for the Henson International Festival of Puppet Theater.

 

 

Leslee Asch has been a member of the Board of Directors of The Jim Henson Foundation since 1984. Leslee was Producing Director for the Henson International Festival of Puppet Theater.

 

 

Lindsey “Z” Briggs is the Foundation Manager of The Jim Henson Foundation, Co-Artistic Director of WonderSpark Puppets, and has been working as a professional puppeteer since 2004.

 

 

Richard Termine has served as a trustee of The Jim Henson Foundation since 1987 and is currently its Vice President. He worked as a puppet designer and builder for The Jim Henson Company, and is currently a performing arts photographer who has photographed many of the world’s leading performers and puppet artists.

 

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. 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. Forums will be broadcast via Facebook Live. Call 860-486-8580 for more information.

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 2018, 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:

February 24: Plastic by Puzzle Theatre — What is more surprising than a plastic-bag world, where funny and colorful creatures are born and transform themselves as much as they like? In this special international performance, Montreal-based Puzzle Theatre offers an original, multicolored performance with unusual puppets created on the spot with plastic bags, filled humor and unexpected situations. Recommended for ages 5+.
 

March 24: I Spy Butterfly by Faye Dupras — How does a nature-loving explorer kid become a bug’s best friend? Find out in this delightful eco-story by UConn Puppet Arts alumna Faye Dupras about the ways we all grow and change. When Trudy’s caterpillar friend Harold suddenly transforms into a chrysalis, she’s determined to do the same. Live music, colorful critters, and oodles of audience interaction make this show a fun ecological romp in the wild! Recommended for ages 3+ (but all ages are welcome to attend!). 

April 14: The Pied Piper of Hamelin by CactusHead Puppets — The town of Hamelin has a rat problem, and there’s only one person who can help! CactusHead Puppets, comprised of UConn Puppet Arts alumni Megan and John Regan, brings the story of The Pied Piper to life in this comedic, updated adaptation of the traditional folktale told with multiple puppetry styles and plenty of dancing rats! Recommended for ages 4+ (but all ages are welcome to attend!).

May 12: Rumplestiltskin by Stevens Puppets — Performed by famed marionette theater company Stevens Puppets, Rumplestiltskin is a fast-paced, action-filled, rhyming rendition of the classic tale, following the Miller as he weaves a web of lies to convince the King that his daughter can spin straw into gold! Enter the outrageously outspoken and never-happy villain, Rumplestiltskin, whose preposterous demands create even more mayhem in the land of Stiltskin. 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 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.

All sales are final — there are no refunds

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and the UConn Puppet Arts Program will present the 2018 UConn Winter Puppet Slam on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at 8 p.m. in UConn’s Studio Theatre located at 802 Bolton Road, Storrs, Conn. 06269. The UConn Winter Puppet Slam will feature short works by professional puppeteers and performers from around New England, including Bonnie Duncan, Jim Napolitano, John O’Donnell, and Paul Spirito, as well as new works for puppet and object theater by students from UConn’s School of Fine Arts.

UConn Puppet Slams provide an opportunity for established artists and neophyte students alike to try out new and experimental work in all areas of object performance before an audience eager to experience exciting puppetry in all its forms. The 2018 Winter Slam will include Boston-based dancer and puppeteer Bonnie Duncan performing Seraphina, a dark and sexy love story between two hands, presented on a table top. Popular Connecticut-based puppeteer Jim Napolitano (a UConn Puppet Arts alumnus) will perform I Hate Brenda using an innovative projection format, “Way Yang Zerox,” that Napolitano invented with fellow puppeteer Tim Lagasse. Napolitano will also present Bedtime Story with Uncle Nappy, a cautionary tale of procreation. Paul Spirito, UConn Puppet Arts technical supervisor and director of online programs, will be experimenting with combining poetry with objects from the natural world. New media artist John O’Donnell, professor of printmaking in UConn’s Department of Art and Art History, will present Ghost of a Wall, a timely performance piece with elaborate costumes, music, and stacks of boxes. The UConn Winter Puppet Slam will also feature new works by UConn graduate and undergraduate students studying puppetry, digital animation, and stop-motion filmmaking. Funding for the UConn Winter Puppet Slam is made possible in part by the HBH Fund, created by Heather Henson.

The UConn Winter 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. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. The event will take place in UConn’s Studio Theatre located at 802 Bolton Rd, Storrs, Conn. 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, visit bimp.uconn.edu, or email us at bimp@uconn.edu.