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Main Galleries Closed 10/10-10/18 (Museum Still Open!)

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From October 10-18, 2017, Ballard Institute staff will be deinstalling our current exhibition Obstreperous Puppets and installing our new exhibition Mascots! Mask Performance in the 21st 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 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 Mascots! on October 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Ballard Institute. The opening events will include refreshments and a free tour by Ballard Institute staff.

“The Perils of Mr. Punch” by Modern Times Theater on 10/14 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 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.

“Word Play” by Good Hearted Entertainment on 3/25 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 Word Play by Good Hearted Entertainment. Performances will take place on March 25, 2017 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

Word Play uses clowning and puppetry to take audiences on an adventure through the alphabet. Words come to life in the hands of two skilled performers, who clown around with sounds and colorful puppet letters to create dozens of dynamic, interactive characters and imaginative scenes. 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!

Good Hearted Entertainment creates performances that combine puppetry and clowning to educate and delight young audiences and the young at heart. The company was founded by Honey Goodenough, who has a master’s degree in educational theater from NYU. Honey has over 10 years of experience creating literacy-based puppetry programs for NYC public schools and for specialized learning institutions for children with learning challenges and varying abilities. Word Play is inspired by Honey’s experience learning to manage her own dyslexia and literacy challenges. The show combines her experiences as a touring puppeteer, educator, clown, magician, and children’s entertainer to bring words to life in new and exciting ways. Paired with the performance talents of fellow educator, Harry LaCoste, and musical composition of Paul Watkins, Good Hearted Entertainment works to inspire and ignite a love of creative learning. This 45-minute show is recommended for ages three and older. This program was developed with support from Puppet Showplace Theater’s Incubator Program.

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 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, no reservations. For more information about these performances, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860-486-8580.

Ballard Institute galleries closed 2/13-2/22 (Museum still open!)

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From February 13 through February 22, 2017, Ballard Institute staff will be deinstalling our current exhibitions Frank Ballard’s Marionette Modernism: ‘Peer Gynt’ and ‘The Love for Three Oranges’ and Object, Image, Text: The Bread & Puppet Press and installing our new exhibition Banners and Cranks: Paintings and Scrolls in Performance.  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 Banners and Cranks: Paintings and Scrolls in Performance on Thursday, February 23 at 5:00 p.m.  at the Ballard Institute. The opening events will include a free tour by exhibit curator Clare Dolan and live performances of crankies and cantastorias by the curator, as well as by Great Small Works theater company.

“The Business of Puppetry,” a Spring Puppet Forum on 2/8 at 7 p.m.

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As part of the 2017 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with professionals in the puppetry field entitled The Business of Puppetry on Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

What combinations of artistry, entrepreneurship, and management are needed for success in 21st-century puppetry? Join Roxie Myhrum, Artistic Director of Puppet Showplace Theater; acclaimed Boston-area puppeteer and dancer Bonnie Duncan; and New York City puppet designer, builder and performer Matt Acheson for an incisive discussion about how to make a living in the arts today.

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Matt Acheson is a puppet and theater artist living in Brooklyn. Matt was the Resident Puppetry Director for Warhorse at Lincoln Center Theater and Associate Puppetry Director for the Warhorse North American tour. Matt has designed, built, and directed puppets for productions including Radio City’s Spring Spectacular and Sarah Ruhl’s play The Oldest Boy. In 2015, Matt and UConn Puppet Arts Program Adjunct Professor Fergus J. Walsh founded AchesonWalsh Studios. Most recently, they designed and fabricated a Tyrannosaurs Rex for On The Town, and masks for the 2015 revival of The King and I at Lincoln Center Theater. Currently, Matt is directing and curating the annual St. Ann’s Warehouse Puppet Lab with Krissy Smith.

Bonnie Duncan has blended puppetry, dance, and physical theatre in surprising and delightful ways for the past 16 years. She currently heads up The Gottabees, making super-fun theater for families. She tours two shows for families (Squirrel Stole My Underpants & Lollipops for Breakfast) that are selling out theaters and inspiring homemade puppet shows throughout the U.S. and abroad. She also creates small shows for adult audiences. Prior to her work with The Gottabees, Bonnie was a company member of Snappy Dance Theater for eight years, performing sculptural, acrobatic dances internationally.

Roxanna Myhrum is the Artistic Director of Puppet Showplace Theater, where she has produced and directed hundreds of puppetry events, from Boston’s annual First Night Puppetry Festival to the site-specific Halloween attraction The Midnight Zoo. She is a sought-after puppetry coach and director in Greater Boston. Roxanna has taught puppetry to students of all ages and has been a guest teaching artist at several colleges and universities. Roxanna recently completed a term on the Puppeteers of America Board of Trustees and was part of the Artistic Committee for the 2015 National Puppetry Festival at UConn.
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. Visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860-486-8580 for more information.

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.

UConn School of Fine Arts Student Short Film Festival, 9/23-9/25

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UConn’s Theatre Studies Program, Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, Digital Media & Design Department, Department of Art and Art History, and the Dean’s Office of the School of Fine Arts will present the first-ever UConn School of Fine Arts Student Short Film Festival from Friday, September 23 through Sunday, September 25 at von der Mehden Recital Hall located on UConn’s Main Campus at 875 Coventry Road, Storrs CT 06269. Admission to this event is free.

The newly created UConn School of Fine Arts Student Short Film Festival will present works by cutting-edge young filmmakers enrolled at the University of Connecticut. The categories include animation, short fiction, and documentary films. On the final night, a reception will be held in the lobby of von der Mehden Recital Hall after the screening.

The three-day schedule includes:

Friday, September 23, 7:00 p.m.: Animation Films, including both shorts and animated storytelling, and short-shorts and animated experiments. The screening will feature commentary by UConn faculty members and a post-screening talkback.

Saturday, September 24, 7:00 p.m.: Short Fiction Films, including films related to the themes of cause and effect and wander and seek. The screening will feature commentary by UConn faculty members and a post-screening talkback.

Sunday, September 25, 6:00 p.m.: Documentary Films, including works that reflect on personal identity and identity in the UConn community, as well as UConn faculty member Alison Paul’s new film “Equinox.” The screenings will feature commentary by UConn faculty members and post-screening talkbacks. After these events, we invite attendees to stay for a reception in the lobby of von der Mehden Recital Hall.

For more information about the festival, screening times, and scheduled presentations, see sfa.uconn.edu/sfa-film-festival or contact Robyn Genzano at robyn.genzano@uconn.edu.

Free Tour at the Ballard Institute before ET on the Town Square on 8/19

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As part of its Moonlight Movies series, the Mansfield Downtown Partnership will offer a free screening of E. T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL on Friday, August 19. Activities begin at 7 p.m. and the movie begins at dusk on the Mansfield Town Square.
Before the movie starts, come to Storrs Center for family-friendly activities starting at 7 p.m., including a themed dinner at Dog Lane Cafe, the UConn Dairy Bar Ice Cream Truck, and hands-on fun for kids in the Town Square.

The Ballard Institute will join in the fun with extended museum hours and a free guided tour at 7:30 p.m. of our current exhibits, The Bureau of Small Requests: Puppetry and Animation of Laura Heit and The World of Puppetry: From the Collections of the Ballard Institute.

For more information about this event, visit https://www.downtownstorrs.org/calendar