As part of its 2023 Fall Puppet Forum Series and in conjunction with the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry’s current exhibit, Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry, the Ballard Institute is pleased to host an Indian Shadow Puppetry puppet forum with Tradition and Revolution exhibition curator Rahul Koonathara and Indian puppetry scholar Dr. Claudia Orenstein, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023 at 7 p.m. at the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. This forum will also be broadcast via Ballard Institute Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute). 

Rahul Koonathara is a UConn graduate student in the Department of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, and a 12th-generation puppeteer in the Pulavar family of Tholpavakoothu shadow performers in Kerala, India. Dr. Claudia Orenstein is a professor of theater at Hunter College and CUNY Graduate Center whose work focuses on performing object theatre and puppetry forms in India and Japan. Koonathara and Orenstein will discuss the spectacular South Indian shadow puppet traditions of Tolu Bommalatta and Tholpavakoothu, as well as recent innovations reflecting the changing nature of the form, all of which can be seen in the current Ballard Institute exhibit Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry. The exhibition will be on display through Dec.17, 2023. 

Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. For more information or if you require accommodation to attend a forum, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu. 

About the Speakers

Rahul Koonathara is the younger son of legendary shadow puppet master Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar and puppeteer Rajalakshmi Ramachandra Pulavar. He was born into a family of puppeteers which has preserved Tholpavakoothu shadow theater traditions for twelve generations. Rahul is currently a graduate student in the Department of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Connecticut, under the guidance of Professor Matthew Cohen, and practices traditional shadow puppetry together with contemporary puppet productions, as well as scholarly research in the puppet arts. Rahul has a Bachelor’s degree in Physics, and a Master’s degree in Folklore Studies, as well as a degree in Acting from the National School of Drama in Bangalore. Rahul has performed major roles in traditional and contemporary shadow puppet productions at the Tholpavakoothu and Puppet Centre in Kerala, and at national and international festivals around the world. 

Claudia Orenstein, Theatre Professor at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY, has spent nearly two decades writing on contemporary and traditional puppetry in the US and Asia. Recent publications: co-edited volumes Women and Puppetry: Critical and Historical Investigations and The Routledge Companion to Puppetry and Material Performance. She worked as dramaturg on Tom Lee and kuruma ningyō master, Nishikawa  Koryū V’s, Shank’s Mare, is Board Member of UNIMA-USA and Associate Editor of Asian Theatre Journal. Current book projects: Thinking Through the Puppet: Essays on Puppet Dramaturgy and a two-volume co-edited anthology with Tim Cusack, Puppet and Spirit: Ritual, Religion, and Performing Objects.

As part of UConn Family Weekend, join Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry staff for free exhibit tours at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 15. Each day will also feature short performances by UConn Puppet Arts graduate students Carrie Fowler (Saturday) and Tom Tuke (Sunday) at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. All events will take place at the Ballard Institute, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. 

Free museum tours will highlight two exhibitions: The World of Puppetry: From the Collections of the Ballard Institute and Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry. The World of Puppetry displays the global scope of the artform and the rich variety of the Ballard Institute’s collection. asdTradition and Revolution celebrates the spectacular South Indian shadow puppet traditions of Tolu Bommalatta and Tholpavakoothu, as well as recent innovations reflecting the changing nature of these forms. 

Each day will also include a short performance (approximately 30 minutes) by UConn Puppet Arts graduate students at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 14, Carrie Fowler will perform Puppets en Pointe, which features ballet-themed pieces in multiple puppetry media. On Sunday, Oct. 15, Tom Tuke will perform Paloma and the Retreat of Death, a tragicomic hand-puppet show.

Reservations are not required. Seating for performances is on a first come, first served basis. For more information, or if you require accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

Learn more about UConn Family Weekend here: familyweekend.uconn.edu

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present the grand opening of its new exhibition Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, with refreshments served at 4:30 p.m. and an in-person exhibition tour at 5 p.m. by curator Rahul Koonathara and Ballard Institute director Dr. John Bell, which will also be streamed on Ballard Institute’s Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute/). The opening events will also include a performance and workshop on Aug. 5 by world-renowned puppeteer Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar of the Tholpavakoothu and Puppet Centre and his son Rahul Koonathara. All events will take place at the Ballard Institute, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. 

Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry, curated by puppeteer and University of Connecticut graduate student in the Department of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Rahul Koonathara, celebrates the spectacular South Indian shadow puppet traditions of Tolu Bommalatta and Tholpavakoothu, as well as recent innovations reflecting the changing nature of the form. For over thirteen generations Indian puppeteers have performed myths, customs, and rituals based on two Hindu epics, The Ramayana and The Mahābhārata. In recent years new variations in design, construction, and content have re-shaped traditional performances, which in many cases have shifted from temple performances to secular locales, and included new subjects such as the lives of Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus, and the animal characters of the Panchatantra, as well as contemporary social and political themes. Please note that this exhibition contains nudity. The exhibition will be on display through December 17, 2023. 

The 5 p.m. exhibition tour on August 4 will be followed at 6 p.m. by a free 45-minute long performance of Tholpava Koothu: The Shadow Puppet Play of Kerala by Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar and his son Rahul Koonathara. This ancient, ritual-based performance is based on selected verses from the epic Kamba Ramayana. Seating is limited; reservations are required: bimp.ticketleap.com/tholpavakoothu.

On Saturday, August 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar and Rahul Koonathara will lead a day-long workshop on shadow puppet design, carving, and manipulation, with a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m. (lunch not provided). The workshop fee is $25 per person. Space is limited, so advance registration is required bimp.ticketleap.com/indian-shadow-workshop/. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. 

Please note that the Ballard Institute will be closed July 10-Aug. 3 as we install this new exhibition.

About the Curator

Rahul Koonathara is the younger son of legendary shadow puppet master Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar and puppeteer Rajalakshmi Ramachandra Pulavar. He was born into a family of puppeteers which has preserved Tholpavakoothu shadow theater traditions for twelve generations. Rahul is currently a graduate student in the Department of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Connecticut, under the guidance of Professor Matthew Cohen, and practices traditional shadow puppetry together with contemporary puppet productions, as well as scholarly research in the puppet arts. Rahul has a Bachelor’s degree in Physics, and a Master’s degree in Folklore Studies, as well as a degree in Acting from the National School of Drama in Bangalore. Rahul has performed major roles in traditional and contemporary shadow puppet productions at the Tholpavakoothu and Puppet Centre in Kerala, and at national and international festivals around the world. 

Some people think creepy crawlies are just gross. But if you look closely, each bug has a song to sing about the special job it does to help plants grow. Learn more about insects and why it’s important to keep them alive. This show is crafted with multiple learning styles in mind to keep children engaged as they learn, with opportunities for the audience to sing, dance, and act out the life cycle of a butterfly! Moving mouth puppets and catchy original songs in exciting styles, from funk to Latin, round out this fun-filled, highly interactive show. Recommended for ages 2-8. 

Talking Hands Theatre was founded in 2004 by artist Anna Sobel, who has been a professional puppeteer since 1998. In 2003 she was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to study puppetry in India as a tool for social change and education. She spent nine months in India and founded Talking Hands Theatre on her return to New York in 2004. She is now based in Western Massachusetts and tours all over New England to perform. In addition to performing, Anna is an experienced teaching artist in puppetry and theater, specializing in arts integration with literacy and social studies. Learn more about Talking Hands Theatre: talkinghandstheatre.com

Due to generous support during our 2023 UConn Gives campaign, admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Reservations are not required.  This performance is co-sponsored by the Mansfield Downtown Partnership. 

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

As part of the 2023 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is pleased to host The Making of Feel Your Best Self: Puppet Building and Video Production on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. This forum will also be broadcast via Ballard Institute Facebook Live (facebook.com/BallardInstitute). 

In this forum, Ballard Institute graduate assistant and Feel Your Best Self Puppeteer Stoph Scheer leads a discussion with Director and Producer Sarah Nolen, Puppet Builder John Cody, and Supervising Producer Heather Asch about building the puppet characters and producing the videos that are a part of the award-winning Feel Your Best Self project, an interdisciplinary collaboration between UConn’s Collaboratory on School and Child Health and the Ballard Institute to promote emotional well-being in elementary-aged children. Hear the ins-and-outs of puppet filmmaking, from the puppet-build process through pre-production to production, and learn how the cast and crew came together to get the whole series shot in two weeks.

Feel Your Best Self is designed for elementary-aged kids as an educational toolkit for learning emotion-focused coping strategies to calm yourself, catch your feelings, and connect with others. The FYBS strategies offer fun and easy ways to help kids (and grown-ups) experience lifts in emotions, feeling, or mood. The toolkit, which features short videos, facilitator steps, reflection journals, strategy cards, and tip sheets, is free and accessible on the website. 

Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. For more information or if you require accommodation to attend a forum, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu. 

About the Speakers

Heather Asch (Supervising Producer; “Brianna”) Heather currently serves as Executive Director for No Strings Productions, a not–for–profit production company that creates puppet films that provide lifesaving information to at-risk children in the developing world. Film subjects include Malaria, Covid, HIV/AIDS, disaster preparation for earthquakes, tsunamis, flood, landslides, landmine safety, and peacebuilding. Heather has over 25 years of experience in the puppetry arts. Her career focus has been in film and television working as supervising producer, line producer, producer, puppeteer, voiceover artist, puppet designer, puppet builder, shop supervisor, build coordinator, wrangler, consultant, and photo stylist. Throughout her career, she has worked with various companies, including The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon, Disney, WGBH, Three Design Studios, and others. Performance credits include Between the Lions, Johnny and the Sprites, Sesame Street, and Allegra’s Window.  She is a four-time Emmy Award winner for her work building and wrangling with Sesame Street and performing on Between the Lions. heatherasch.com  nostringsproductions.org

John Cody (Character Designer; Lead Puppet Builder; Puppet Captain; Puppet Wrangler; “Dance Teacher”) is a puppeteer, puppet builder, and writer from Katonah, New York. He graduated with a BFA from the UConn Puppet Arts program in 2017, and has gone on to work on projects for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon, The Walt Disney Company and more! You can check out more of his work on his Instagram, @puppetjohn, or on his website puppetjohn.com

Sarah Nolen (Director; Producer; Art Director; Script Writer) is a puppeteer and filmmaker known for her versatile and witty work across multiple puppetry styles. Originally from Texas, Sarah now resides in  Massachusetts, where she works as a freelance puppeteer, director, and puppet builder for both stage and screen through her company Puppet Motion. She received her MFA in Puppet Arts at the University of Connecticut in 2016. While at UConn, Sarah was awarded the 2015 Mister Rogers Memorial Scholarship in support of her MFA film project, TREEPLES, which premiered at  the 2016 Slamdance Film Festival. Sarah has trained at Sesame Workshop, the O’Neill Puppetry Conference, Sandglass Theater, the Brooklyn Puppet  Conspiracy, and completed a yearlong improvisational comedy program at the  Dallas Comedy House. Currently, she serves as Interim Co-Artistic Director at the Puppet  Showplace Theater in Brookline, where she tours her own solo puppet shows around New England. You can learn more about her work at her website:  sarahnolen.com 

Stoph Scheer (“CJ”) has trained with and puppeteered for the Jim Henson Company, and has also puppeteered for The Muppets, Banksy, and FailArmy. She is co-founder of Doppelskope Puppet Theatre and co-writes and produces The Creatures of Yes on YouTube. Learn more on her website: scheerbrilliance.com

As part of UConn Family Weekend, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will offer free tours and performances.

Saturday, October 22:

• Join Ballard Institute staff for free exhibit tours at noon, 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 23:

• Join Ballard Institute staff for free exhibit tours at noon, 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
• UConn Puppet Arts graduate students Abigail Baird and Jaron Hollander will present a brief toy theater performance based on Maurice Sendak’s 1993 book, We Are All in the Dumps With Jack and Guy at 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. 

Swing into Action: Maurice Sendak and the World of Puppetry, created in partnership with The Maurice Sendak Foundation, looks at the various ways Sendak designed, collected, and collaborated with puppets and puppet productions, from his childhood days making mechanical toys with his brother, to his collections of Mickey Mouse memorabilia, his inventive collaborations with puppeteer Amy Luckenbach, his puppet designs for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Mozart Opera Goose of Cairo, and the way Sendak’s book inspired Sonny Gerasimowicz’s creatures for Spike Jonze’s film Where the Wild Things Are. 

Reservations are not required. Masks are recommended but not required. For more information, or if you require accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860.486.8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

As part of Family Weekend, the Ballard Institute will also present its 2022 UConn Fall Puppet Slam at von der Mehden Recital Hall on Friday, 10/21 at 7:30 p.m.