The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will be closed:
Friday, December 22 through Tuesday, December 26
Saturday, December 30 through Thursday, January 4
Happy Holidays!
News
“Santa Got Fired and Other Silly Stories” by Nappy’s Puppets on 12/2 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
As part of its Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Santa Got Fired and Other Silly Stories by Nappy’s Puppets on December 2, 2017 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.
You will delight in the wonder of Nappy’s Puppet’s holiday show, Santa Got Fired and Other Silly Stories as Jim “Nappy” Napolitano tells the tale of how Santa got his job, as well as other fun and silly shadow puppet stories. This show is designed to entertain, inspire and educate the audience on the range and scope of puppetry as an art form. This show is 45 minutes long and is recommended for ages 3 and up.
Acclaimed Connecticut puppeteer Jim Napolitano, an alumnus of UConn Puppet Arts Program, is well known for his television credits, including Between the Lions on PBS, The Book of Pooh on the Disney Channel, and the cartoon Kirby on Fox.
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.
Ballard Institute Closed on 11/22 and 11/23
The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will be closed Wednesday, November 22 and Thursday, November 23. The museum will resume normal business hours on Friday, November 24. Happy Thanksgiving!
“Mascots!: Sport Spectacle in the 21st Century” with AJ Mass and David Raymond on 12/7 at 7 p.m.
As part of its Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Mascots!: Sports Spectacle in the 21st Century, with nationally recognized mascot performer AJ Mass and mascot performer/builder David Raymond, on Dec. 7, 2017 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center. This event coincides with the Ballard Institute’s exhibition, Mascots! Mask Performance in the 21st Century, which is on display in the Ballard Museum now through Feb. 11, 2018.
Mascot spectacle reaches millions of Americans on a daily basis in sporting events throughout the country. How and why do sports mascots inspire and enthrall modern audiences? Join mascot builders and performers David Raymond and AJ Mass as they explain the magic of mascot performance.
AJ Mass was born and raised in Flushing, New York, and studied broadcast journalism at Syracuse University. He performed as the New York Mets’ Mr. Met for four years, and also with an off-Broadway improvisational comedy troupe. AJ taught theater arts to schoolchildren in the tri-state area before moving to New Jersey. He wrote about sports for TalentedMrRoto.com, capturing the attention of ESPN.com, which then began to publish his column on a weekly basis. In 2007, AJ joined the staff of ESPN.com full-time as a proud member of the ESPN Fantasy Sports team. AJ’s first book, How Fantasy Sports Explains the World: What Pujols and Peyton Can Teach Us About Wookiees and Wall Street, was published in August of 2011. His second book, Yes, It’s Hot in Here: Adventures in the Weird, Woolly World of Sports Mascots, was incredibly well received in April of 2014. The buzz surrounding this effort attracted the attention of Academy Award-winning film director Errol Morris, who made AJ the centerpiece of his 2015 documentary short, Being Mr. Met.
David Raymond pioneered the field of sports mascots with his innovative performance of the world-renowned Phillie Phanatic in 1978. He was the original Phanatic, and his vision and performance skills spawned a revolution in the mascot industry, leading sportscaster and baseball analyst Tim McCarver to name the Phanatic the “best mascot in baseball” in 1993. Creating fan adoration, brand leadership and sponsorship opportunities for the Phillies and the Phanatic for 16 years catapulted Raymond into the world of character branding. As the nation’s leading market consultant for character branding on and off the field, court, or in the board room, Raymond has worked with over 250 sports teams and companies across the nation through his company Raymond Entertainment Group (REG), based in West Grove, Pennsylvania. In 2006 David co-founded the Fun Department, a team-building company that specializes in low-cost employee engagement for the purposes of morale, retention, health and productivity. Raymond has been profiled by CNN, Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, HBO, SiriusXM and NPR.
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 or visit bimp.uconn.edu.
“Sleeping Beauty” by Tanglewood Marionettes on 11/4 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
As part of its Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will present Sleeping Beauty by Tanglewood Marionettes on November 4, 2017 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.
A classic tale that appeals to children of all ages, Sleeping Beauty begins in King Felix’s great hall with the celebration of Princess Aurora’s birth. The party goes awry when the Wicked Witch arrives and curses the princess. Will the curse come true? Will someone with a “true heart” appear? Join us as Tanglewood Marionettes performs this beloved fairy tale with beautifully handcrafted marionettes brought to life by a master puppeteer. Recommended for ages 4+.
Founded in 1993 by Anne Ware and Peter Schaefer, Tanglewood Marionettes is a nationally touring marionette theater based in New England. Their repertoire consists primarily of classic tales performed by skilled puppeteers who have spent many years perfecting their art. The company’s large, beautifully handcrafted marionettes, colorful sets, and integrated lighting and sound create a fully immersive theatrical experience. Tanglewood Marionettes has received two Citations for Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from UNIMA-USA (the American center of the Union International de la Marionette).
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.
“Puppet Riches: The Angst Collection at Yale University” with Matthew Cohen on 11/30 at 7 p.m.
As part of the 2017 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with puppet scholar and historian Matthew Cohen entitled Puppet Riches: The Angst Collection at Yale University on November 30, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.
Dr. Cohen, equally acclaimed as a puppet scholar and rod-puppet master, will discuss the rich and exciting details of the new Dr. Walter Angst and Sir Henry Angest collection of over 20,000 Javanese rod puppets and shadow figures at the Yale University Art Gallery—the world’s largest collection of Indonesian puppets.
Matthew Isaac Cohen is Professor of International Theatre and Director of the Centre for Asian Theatre and Dance at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is a historian and anthropologist of Southeast Asian theater and world puppetry, and performs wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre) under the nom-de-stage of Ki Kanda Buwana, a royal title and name given by the royal court of Kacirebonan of West Java, Indonesia. He has held visiting appointments and fellowships at Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia, the University of Malaya in Malaysia, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry. In the fall of 2017, he is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Yale University Art Gallery, researching and helping to curate the Angst collection. Dr. Cohen’s most recent book is Inventing the Performing Arts: Modernity and Tradition in Colonial Indonesia (University of Hawaii Press, 2016).
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 or visit bimp.uconn.edu.
UConn Avery Point Exhibit: “Sailors, Sea Creatures and Strings: Maritime Puppets from the Collections of the Ballard Institute,” 10/11-12/17
UConn Avery Point, in collaboration with UConn School of Fine Arts and the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut presents Sailors, Sea Creatures and Strings: Maritime Puppets from the Collections of the Ballard Institute in the exhibition space located on the second floor of Branford House at UConn Avery Point. UConn Avery Point is located at 1084 Shennecossett Road, Groton, Connecticut 06340. The exhibition will be on display through Dec. 17, 2017.
In a special guest exhibition at UConn’s Avery Point campus, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry presents Sailors, Sea Creatures, and Strings, an installation of puppets performed in popular maritime tales. The exhibit features marionettes, rod puppets, and set pieces from late UConn Puppet Arts Program founder Frank Ballard’s productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore (1989) and Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung (1980). The exhibit also highlights marionettes created by famed Waterford, Connecticut puppeteers Rufus and Margo Rose from their celebrated 1937 production of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. The exhibition’s curator, Matt Sorensen, a UConn Puppet Arts graduate student and the Ballard Institute’s graduate assistant, will lead a tour of the exhibition at the opening reception.
Exhibition hours will be Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. from Oct. 12 through Dec. 17, 2017. Admission to the exhibition is free.
“Mascots! Mask Performance in the 21st Century,” 10/19/17-2/11/18
The world of mascots is one of the most vibrant and active areas of contemporary mask performance in the United States. With their combination of costumes and over-life-size head masks, mascots are stunning symbolic representations of professional, college, and high-school sports teams, companies, and other organizations. Through their performances at sporting events, parades, theme parks, street corners, and other venues, mascots represent powerful ideas of community, team spirit, and organizational identity. The Ballard Institute’s Mascots! exhibition will examine the creators, history and social context of mascots in North America, and bring together exciting examples of contemporary and historic mascots ranging from the collegiate level with UConn’s Jonathan the Husky, Big Jay and Baby Jay from the University of Kansas, and Lil’ Red from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, to famous major-league mascots including the Boston’s favorite mascot; Winger, the former mascot of the Washington Capitols; Clutch from the Houston Rockets, the Famous San Diego Chicken, and more.
“The Perils of Mr. Punch” by Modern Times Theater on 10/14 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
As part of its Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will present The Perils of Mr. Punch by Vermont’s Modern Times Theater on October 14, 2017 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.
The Perils of Mr. Punch follows the troubles and travails of puppetry’s favorite loudmouth, Mr. Punch. This is hand puppetry at its best, in a style that has entertained children for centuries. The program includes a two-person orchestra, specializing in early jazz music and American folk songs played on the cornet, ukulele, upright bass, and bicycle pump. It addition to the puppet show and live music, the program also features classic jokes and gags and audience participation. The performance is appropriate for children of all ages.
Modern Times Theater is a classic comedy theater and puppetry duo. Mastering the thoroughly modern mediums of pantomime, puppetry and novelty music, husband and wife performers Justin Lander and Rose Friedman delight crowds with a fresh take on the entertainment styles of the past. Parents themselves, Friedman and Lander strive to present high quality entertainment for the whole family. They also produce and perform in Vermont Vaudeville, a highly acclaimed, full-scale professional variety show.
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.
“Puppet Riches: The Angst Collection at Yale University” with Matthew Cohen on 11/30 at 7 p.m.
As part of the 2017 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with puppet scholar and historian Matthew Cohen entitled Puppet Riches: The Angst Collection at Yale University on November 30, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.
Dr. Cohen, equally acclaimed as a puppet scholar and rod-puppet master, will discuss the rich and exciting details of the new Dr. Walter Angst and Sir Henry Angest collection of over 20,000 Javanese rod puppets and shadow figures at the Yale University Art Gallery—the world’s largest collection of Indonesian puppets.
Matthew Isaac Cohen is Professor of International Theatre and Director of the Centre for Asian Theatre and Dance at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is a historian and anthropologist of Southeast Asian theater and world puppetry, and performs wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre) under the nom-de-stage of Ki Kanda Buwana, a royal title and name given by the royal court of Kacirebonan of West Java, Indonesia. He has held visiting appointments and fellowships at Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia, the University of Malaya in Malaysia, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry. In the fall of 2017, he is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Yale University Art Gallery, researching and helping to curate the Angst collection. Dr. Cohen’s most recent book is Inventing the Performing Arts: Modernity and Tradition in Colonial Indonesia (University of Hawaii Press, 2016).
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 or visit bimp.uconn.edu.