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

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

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

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

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

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by phone at 860.486.8580, or online at http://bimp.ticketleap.com/. A surcharge will be added to any purchases made online. Tickets may also be purchased at the Ballard Institute on the day of performance starting at 10 a.m. There will be open seating and no reservations. For more information about these performances, call 860.486.8580.

2017 Spring Puppet Performance Series

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Tickets can be purchased at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by phone at 860.486.8580, or online at http://bimp.ticketleap.com/. A surcharge will be added to any purchases made online. Tickets may also be purchased at the Ballard Institute on the day of performance starting at 10 a.m. There will be open seating and no reservations. For more information about these performances, call 860.486.8580.

All sales are final — there are no refunds.

“Making Marionette Theater with Frank Ballard” with Steve Abrams and Steven Brezzo on 12/7 at 7 p.m.

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As the final event of the 2016 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Making Marionette Theater with Frank Ballard, with acclaimed puppet historian Steve Abrams and exhibition specialist Steven Brezzo, a UConn alumnus who worked with Professor Ballard. The forum will take place on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Presented in conjunction with the Ballard Institute exhibition Frank Ballard’s Marionette Modernism: ‘Peer Gynt’ and ‘The Love for Three Oranges’, this forum will take the form of a conversation with Abrams, a Philadelphia-based puppeteer and current Editor of the Puppetry Journal, and Steven Brezzo, graduate of the UConn Puppet Arts Program and President of Opar, Inc., a company that produces touring exhibitions and stage shows. The conversation, moderated by Ballard Institute Director John Bell, will focus on the specifics of Frank Ballard’s marionette productions at UConn, and their larger significance as an important aspect of 20th-century American puppet theater.

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. This forum will be broadcast via Facebook Live. Call 860.486.8580 for more information.

“The Snowflake Man” by Puppetkabob on 12/3 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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snowflake-man-2As the final production of its Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present The Snowflake Man by UConn Puppet Arts Program alumna Sarah Frechette of Puppetkabob on Saturday, December 3, 2016. There will be two showings, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., in the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs, CT.

The Snowflake Man is inspired by the life of Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, the self-educated Vermont farmer and scientist who attracted world attention when he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal.  The Snowflake Man swings audiences into the historic 1920s through creative storytelling, intricately designed Czech-style marionettes, and a striking pop-up book of watercolor scenery. This UNIMA-USA award-winning show combines art, science, and a little-known piece of New England history to magical effect!

Sarah Frechette is an artist, puppeteer and founder of Puppetkabob, a company that has toured nationally to schools, libraries, theaters, museums and festivals. She graduated from the University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts Program, mentored with German master puppeteer Albrecht Roser, and created costumes for the stop-motion film ParaNorman. Her solo production of The Snowflake Man was awarded an UNIMA-USA Citation of Excellence, and this past summer, Sarah performed the production at the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival in Ontario, Canada. The Ballard Institute is excited and proud to welcome Sarah back to UConn for these performances. For more information about Sarah Frechette, visit www.puppetkabob.com.

Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Students: $8; Kids: $6 (12 years and under)

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by phone at 860.486.8580, or online at http://bimp.ticketleap.com/. A surcharge will be added to any purchases made online. Tickets may also be purchased at the Ballard Institute on the day of performance starting at 10 a.m. There will be a limited number of seats. For more information about these performances, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860.486.8580.

Fall Puppet Forum, “Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press”, with Max Schumann and Clare Dolan on 11/16 at 7 p.m.

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blue-calendar1As part of the 2016 Fall Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press, a discussion with Max Schumann, Executive Director of New York City’s Printed Matter; and Clare Dolan, the founder and Chief Operating Philosopher of Vermont’s Museum of Everyday Life. The forum will take place Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Presented in conjunction with the Ballard Institute exhibition Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press, this forum will take the form of a conversation with Max Schumann, an acclaimed painter who also heads the world’s leading center for artists’ books; and puppeteer, curator, visual artist, and Bread & Puppet veteran Clare Dolan, who will explore an integral element of Bread & Puppet Theater director Peter Schumann’s prodigious artistic output: pamphlets, books, posters, and book-like constructions that have complemented his dynamic productions since 1963.

Our final 2016 Fall Puppet Forum will be:

December 7: Making Marionette Theater with Frank Ballard, with Steven Brezzo (Opar, Inc.), Fred Thompson (Eugene O’Neill Theater Center), and Steve Abrams (Editor, Puppetry Journal)

Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. Come early, and experience our puppet exhibitions, as well as the video resources in our library nook. Forums will be broadcast via Facebook Live. Call 860.486.8580 for more information.

“The Doubtful Sprout” by Liz Joyce & A Couple of Puppets on 11/5 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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As part of its Fall Puppet Performance Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present The Doubtful Sprout by Liz Joyce & A Couple of Puppets on Saturday, November 5, 2016. There will be two performances, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., in the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs, CT.

Get ready to explore the world under your feet in this underground puppet adventure! Tunnel down with Worm and Sprout as they discover the mysterious life found inside soil. Along the way, kids help figure out the secrets that help Sprout grow! Liz Joyce, award-winning performer and Director of Goat on a Boat Puppet Theater in Sag Harbor, Long Island, brings this ecological wonderland to life with multiple puppetry styles, projections and song.

Liz Joyce, an accomplished puppeteer, writes, directs, and performs a growing repertoire of works for audiences of children aged 10 months to 10 years. Subjects include her take on traditional fairy tales, folktales, educational shows and original creations. In each of these productions she amuses and entertains both children and adults.
Trained as a fine artist, Liz also was also certified as a K-12 Art Educator. Her artistic approach to puppetry has been influenced by European puppetry traditions and the eccentric energy of New York’s downtown performance artists. She honed her carving skills working with traditional puppet carvers in Prague, and often collaborates with other puppeteers in the international puppet community. Liz’s puppet operetta, Sing a Song of Sixpence, was awarded an UNIMA Citation, the highest award in American puppetry. She currently is serving on the Board of Directors for the Jim Henson Foundation.

Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Students: $8; Kids: $6 (12 years and under).

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by phone at 860.486.8580, or online at http://bimp.ticketleap.com/. A surcharge will be added to any purchases made online. Tickets may also be purchased at the Ballard Institute on the day of performance starting at 10 a.m. There will be a limited number of seats. For more information about these performances, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860.486.8580.

Grand Opening of Frank Ballard’s Marionette Modernism and Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press on 10/22

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The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present the grand opening of Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press and Frank Ballard’s Marionette Modernism: Peer Gynt and The Love for Three Oranges, on Saturday, October 22, 2016, with refreshments served at 4:00 p.m. and free tours of both exhibitions at 4:30 p.m. All events will take place at the Ballard Institute, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs, Connecticut.

blue-calendar1Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press will feature an integral element of Bread & Puppet Theater director Peter Schumann’s prodigious artistic output: the production of pamphlets, books, posters, and book-like constructions that have complemented his dynamic Bread & Puppet shows since the 1960s. The tour of this exhibition on October 22, 2016 will be led by Peter Schumann.

Frank Ballard’s Marionette Modernism: Peer Gynt and The Love for Three Oranges will be a striking exposition of Frank Ballard’s life-long passion for the artistic possibilities of string marionettes as it emerged in his spectacular versions of two modernist classics: Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, with music by Edvard Grieg; and Gozzi’s The Love for Three Oranges, set to music by Sergei Prokofiev. Dr. John Bell, Director of the Ballard Institute, will lead the tour of this exhibition at the grand opening.

As part of our Fall Puppet Forum Series, on Wednesday, November 16 at 7 p.m., Max Schumann (Executive Director, Printed Matter) and Clare Dolan (Chief Operating Philosopher, Museum of Everyday Life) in Vermont, will discuss the work of Bread & Puppet Press. On Wednesday, December 7 at 7 p.m., Steven Brezzo (President, Opar, Inc.), Fred Thompson (Eugene O’Neill Theater Center), and Steve Abrams (Editor, Puppetry Journal) will reflect on Frank Ballard’s work in marionette theater. These forums will be live streamed via Facebook Live.

Ballard Institute Galleries Closed from October 10-21, 2016

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From October 10 through October 21, 2016, Ballard Institute staff will be deinstalling our current exhibition The Bureau of Small Requests: Puppetry and Animation of Laura Heit and installing our new exhibitions Frank Ballard’s Marionette Modernism: ‘Peer Gynt’ and ‘The Love for Three Oranges’ and Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press.  While the main galleries at the Ballard Institute will be closed during this process, the museum will remain open during normal business hours, and our exhibit titled 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 Frank Ballard’s Marionette Modernism: ‘Peer Gynt’ and ‘The Love for Three Oranges’ and Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press on Saturday, October 22 at 4:00 p.m. at the Ballard Institute. The opening events will include free tours by John Bell, Director of the Ballard Institute, and Peter Schumann of Bread & Puppet Theater.