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PUPPET HAPPENINGS:
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The Luminous Crow *
Yuliya Tsukerman
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
421 Clinton
Brooklyn, NY
eventbrite.com/e/the-luminous-crow-tickets-1084752256199?aff=oddtdtcreator
Every December, on the last full moon before the solstice, the Luminous Crow flies from nest to nest, leaving a gold coin under the head of every sleeping fledgling. We’ll gather to observe this holiday with a story written & directed by Yuliya Tsukerman and narrated by Greedy Peasant, including puppetry by Emily Batsford, Amanda Glynn Card, and Rowan Magee, and music by Jess Tsang. A cookie-based reception to follow.
December 14, 2024
4pm
$23.18
Dead as a Dodo *
Wakka Wakka
Photo by: Richard Termine
Baruch Performing Arts Center
55 Lexington Avenue (25th Street between Lexington and Third)
New York, NY
https://www.wakkawakka.org
Deep within the underworld, two skeleton friends, a Dodo and a boy, tirelessly dig for fresh bones. Their ancient skeletal forms are deteriorating and without them they will disappear completely. One day something peculiar happens: The Dodo miraculously sprouts feathers! A wave of transformation begins, shattering the established order of the dead. As the Dodo continues to grow flesh, fear and chaos erupt The two friends must flee, fighting to stay together as they are drawn into the heart of an epic battle between life and death. Infused with puppetry, humor, and stunning visual effects, Dead as a Dodo is a mesmerizing musical odyssey about survival, transformation, and the power of true friendship.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Presenter's Grant
January 8 - February 9, 2025
January 8-January 12: Wed/Thur/Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 3 and 7 pm; Sunday at 2 & 5 pm
January 14-February 8 : Tue/Wed/Thur/Friday at 7 pm; Saturday at 3 & 7 pm; Sunday at 3 pm
Tickets January 8-19 (UTR Festival): $40; January 20-February 8: $55
Song of the North *
Hamid Rahmanian, Fictionville Studio with support from Two Chairs
The New Victory Theater
209 W 42nd Street
New York, NY
newvictory.org/tickets-and-events/2425-live-performance-song-of-the-north/
During a time of fragile peace between rival kingdoms, the princess Manijeh must summon all her strength and skills to rescue her beloved, Bijan, from a perilous predicament of her own making. Can their love quiet the drumbeat of war? Shadows from 9 performers and 483 handmade puppets play against stunning animated projections in a cinematic performance as epic as the story that inspired it. Pulled from the pages of the Shahnameh—the thousand-year-old Persian Book of Kings—Song of the North trumpets unity, compassion and the beauty of Iranian culture. Created, designed and directed by Hamid Rahmanian.
* Recipient of a Jim Henson Foundation Production Grant (2021)
March 14 - 23, 2025
Fridays at 7:00pm
Saturdays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm
Sundays at 12:00pm and 4:00pm
$24
Fowl Play: Conference of the Birds
Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre
Ellen Stewart Theatre
66 East 4th St
New York, NY
lamama.org/shows/fowl-play-2024
Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre (CAMT), under the direction of Vit Horejs, performs "Fowl Play" an original puppet rock opera inspired by Farid us-Din Attar’s 12th century Sufipoem “The Conference of the Birds,” as re-told by contemporary illustrator and author, Peter Sis. In the story, a flock of birds seek their leader in vain. Performers will portray the birds on their quest over mountain ranges, through deserts and forests. Puppets, objects, and costumes will be designed in the style of Sis's colorful illustrations; and include feather boas, scarves, flags, flowers, banknotes, traffic tickets, dry leaves, newspapers, political and sales flyers, plastic bags, cans & bottles.
November 22 - December 8, 2024
Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7pm
Sundays at 2pm
$30
The Beginning After the End of Humanity Circus
Bread & Puppet
Theater for the New City
155 1st Ave
New York, NY
https://ci.ovationtix.com/35441/production/1216794?performanceId=11538633
Join us December 4-8 for The Beginning After the End of Humanity Circus. Director Peter Schumann reports that there will be “tigers teaching the congress of cowards how to jump over billionaires and acquire the courage to not pay for the atrocities of the latest genocide; the proverbial sheep of the system refusing to be sheep and committing revolution against the system; and the blue horses of the peace and harmony terrorists of the Northeast Kingdom breaking through the wall of threatening clouds that hide the truth from the population and then galloping over the ruins of the truth industry.”
December 4 - 8, 2024
Dec 4 - 6 at 8pm
Dec 7 at 3pm and 8pm
Dec 8 at 3pm
$18
The Undercity
Gaby FeBland and Sammy Zeisel
Culture Lab LIC
5-25 46th Ave
Long Island City, NY
eventbrite.com/e/new-works-festival-the-undercity-tickets-1014824696987?aff=oddtdtcreator
When an otherworldly artifact falls into her paws, Rat Girl uncovers a vast conspiracy that threatens the fate of the entire rat metropolis. Merging puppetry, toy theatre, and an original score, “The Undercity” navigates unchecked greed, climate catastrophe, and the engineered hopelessness of industrial life—a gnarly web of rat tails only our hero can untangle.
December 5 - 8, 2024
Thursday, 12/5
7:30 pm
Friday, 12/6
7:30 pm
Saturday, 12/7
2:30 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday, 12/8
2:30 pm & 7:30 pm
$25-$40
We Wiggle Dolls VII: A Puppet Slam
We Wiggle Dolls
Rubulad
389 Melrose St
Brooklyn, NY
withfriends.co/event/22296575/
Following a landmark first year- from the first @purgatory.bk slam, to hosting workshops, to publishing, to the festival, our collaborations and culminating in the national tour, we could not be more thrilled to host another good old fashioned puppet slam! 2025 is going to bring even more massive changes so please be sure to catch this one-time, mega-sized evening of extreme variety!
PERFORMERS:
• Vape Kid Jr. (@vapekidjr)
• Madison J Cripps (@madisonj.cripps)
• Break-FAST Puppets (@breakfast_puppets)
• Tashi (@_tashi_)
• Basically Good Puppet Theater (@basically_good)
• Tau Bennett (@haunau.brauntau)
• Jaqueline Wade
• Gabe Hazuda (@gabemakesit)
• k8 Revels (@k8.kinetics)
• Jeremy Quentin (@yellowlemonshapedrock)
December 11, 2024
7:30PM
$24
The Possibilitarian Imperative Everything Show & Gray Lady Cantata #9
Bread & Puppet
Theater for the New City
155 1st Ave
New York, NY
https://ci.ovationtix.com/35441/production/1216794
The word “possibilitarian” is a Marc Estrin translation of Robert Musil’s term “möglichkeitsmensch” from his novel The Man Without Qualities, about the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The term was invigorated by Margaret Thatcher’s remark on capitalism: “there is no alternative,” to which we respond: “there are a thousand alternatives!” Of The Possibilitarian Imperative Everything Show, director Peter Schumann reminds us that, “at a time when Freedom and Democracy slaughter babies and moms by the dozen every day and don’t even seem to have any understanding of what they are doing to the world or to themselves, we Possibilitarians, operating on the Principle of Hope, put on our boots to kick aside impossibility and declare new possibility in response to this obviously despaired situation.”
Gray Lady Cantata #9 continues a series of shows made in the 60’s and 70’s in response to the Vietnam War. This new iteration features texts from Palestinians living through the war in Gaza. With the iconic gray lady puppets from the original production moving through vignettes both dreamlike and brutal, Gray Lady Cantata #9 offers meditations on grief, war, and resistance.
December 12 - 15, 2024
Dec 12 - 13 at 8pm
Dec 14 at 3pm and 8pm
Dec 15 at 3pm
$18
A Very Fleshlumps Christmas with Lilith and Lucite
Ray Dondero and Willow Giannotti
The Jalopy Theater
315 Columbia Street
Brooklyn, NY
https://www.viewcy.com/e/a_very_fleshlumps_chr
A Christmas extravaganza for the ages to come, Lilith and Lucite welcome you to their bunker once again to delight you with their love for the holidays and for one another. Featuring their dearest friends and family in this once in a lifetime night to remember.
December 12, 2024
Doors @ 8pm, Show @ 8:30pm
$20.00
Practical Effects: A Puppet Variety Show
Rachel Javorsky and Hope Cary
The BCC Pig Pen
144 Boerum St
Brooklyn, NY
brooklyncc.com/show-schedule/practicaleffects-12-15
Practical Effects is the first ever puppet-only comedy variety show at Brooklyn Comedy Collective and in the United States (“We said no fact-checking” - JD Vance).
In a world of CGI Marvel movies and AI photos of the pope, Hope and Rachel invite you to a simpler time, to a world of puppetry and practical effects.
Featuring Crooked Square Puppetry (@crokkedsquare), Jamee Lind (@average_llama), Skeeter and Kev (@skeetervarietyhour), Full of Bones Improv (@fullofbonesimprov), Hope Cary (@hopecary6), and Rachel Javorsky (@itsrayjay)
December 15, 2024
7PM
$10
A Light in the Darkness
Puppets Come Home
dixon place
161A Chrystie St
New York, NY
dixonplace.org/performances/puppets-come-home-a-light-in-the-darkness/
Join Puppets Come Home at Dixon Place for a puppet slam featuring a dynamic line-up of performers, whose work will explore the theme ‘A Light in the Darkness.’ Co-hosted and co-produced by Tau Bennett, Camille Cooper, and Brendan Schweda.
December 18, 2024
7:30PM
$20
PUNCH Puppet Slam: XMAS CAROL
Drama of Works
Photo by: Drama of Works
Rubulad
[buy tickets or email for location]
Brooklyn, NY
dramaofworks.com/xmascarol
Join us for another PUNCH puppet slam - where a diverse group of puppet artists use a wide variety of puppet styles to tell one story! See a haunted Scrooge house dark ride, complete with rattling toy theater ghost chains, a shadow dreamscape as scary as you remember that old BBC version of the story was when you first watched in grade school, someone pulling on Scrooge’s marionette strings, a humanette Scrooged complete with bubble machine, plus so much more! It’s a toy theater, bless us everyone!
Artists include Drama of Works, PlaylabNYC, Fairytale Marionettes, Luna & Muna, Esme Roszel, Confident Baby Puppets, Hailey Bendar, and more…
December 19, 2024
Doors: 7pm / Show: 7:30pm
$18 in advance / $20 at the door
Perfect Christmas Cookies
Carrie Fowler
Photo by: Sammantha Ford
Tootles & French
3615 Ditmars Blvd.
Astoria, NY
https://www.tootlesandfrench.com/
In Perfect Christmas Cookies, Darla’s extreme optimism can’t mask the fact she’s a terrible pastry chef. Oven runs away to avoid choking on her baking. Scrooge is mad in, heretofore, forbidden love. Santa can’t get his act together since losing Mrs.Claus. Perfect Christmas Cookies is an incredibly unique, fantastical, campy, and tender Broadway-inspired hand puppet musical. It has drawn great affection from audiences and is filled with much needed life-affirming acceptance and understanding of diversity.
Book & Lyrics are by Carrie Fowler. Music is by Carrie Fowler and Silvia Gopalakrishnan. Starring Carrie Fowler and Alyson Doyle, both 2024 graduates of the University of Connecticut Master of Fine Arts in Puppet Arts program.
December 21 - 22, 2024
Saturday, December 21 at 8:30pm.
Sunday, December 22 at 3:00pm.
Additional Dates
Dec 23 at 7:00PM at Don't Tell Mama 343 W 46th St New York, NY
$50
Cool Zone: The Lost Episode
Vape Kid Jr.
The Brick Aux Studio
628 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY
www.bricktheater.com/event/the-exponential-festival-and-the-brick-present-cool-zone-the-lost-episode/2025-01-16/
Hey kids! Do you remember “Vape Kid’s Cool Zone?”
A fascist brainwashing program disguised as a public access children’s TV. It’s PeeWee Herman meets RoboCop!
Follow America’s Darling- a 5-foot sentient puppet named Courtney as he learns what it means to serve his country?. Join the live studio audience for the lost episode the US government doesn’t want you to see!
Find them: ?@VapeKidJr @DailyRaptorOfficial???
Content warnings: Child Abuse, Police brutality, Gun Violence, puppets
January 16 - 18, 2025
7PM
$15
The Best of Broadway Puppetry at 54 Below
Puppetry on Broadway
Photo by: Art by Richard Michael Gomez
54 Below
254 W 54th St
New York, NY
54below.org/events/the-best-of-broadway-puppetry/
Calling all the lovers, the dreamers, and YOU! Calling all the lovers, the dreamers, and YOU! From Mushnik’s Flower Shop on Skid Row to the Pridelands, puppetry plays an integral part of the magic we love on Broadway. In this show at 54 Below, your favorite puppeteers will go above the frame and sing their favorite Broadway songs…with no strings attached! Hosted by the Bad Idea Bears of Avenue Q, this show features puppeteers from iconic Broadway shows such as Shrek the Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, The Lion King, Warhorse, Water for Elephants, Avenue Q, How to Dance in Ohio, and Life of Pi. Bringing your own puppet is not required, but highly recommended for maximum fun!
Conceived and Produced by Julia Darling (Puppetry on Broadway)
Directed by Peter Charney and Jake Bazel
January 27, 2025
9:30 PM
$34.50-73.00
Water for Elephants
Broadway
Imperial Theatre
249 45th St
New York, NY
waterforelephantsthemusical.com/
The critically acclaimed bestselling novel comes to “thrilling, dazzling” life (Time Out New York) in a unique, spectacle-filled new musical with “one of the more remarkable ensembles ever seen on Broadway” (New York Daily News)! Hailed as a Critic’s Pick, The New York Times calls it “stunning, emotional and gorgeously imaginative.” After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.
Ongoing, tickets on sale through December 30, 2024
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 7:00pm
Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sundays at 3:00pm
Starting at $84
Little Shop of Horrors
Off-Broadway
Westside Theatre Upstairs
407 West 43rd St
New York, NY
littleshopnyc.com
The world's most ravenous plant has returned to its acclaimed, sold-out run at the Westside Theatre! Winner of the 2020 Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is “wildly exuberant” (The Hollywood Reporter), and a New York Times Critic's Pick. Get tickets now and enjoy a taste of what we’ve all been craving: live theater!
Tuesdays & Thursdays - 7:00pm
Fridays - 8:00pm
Saturdays - 2:00pm & 8:00pm
Sundays - 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Starting at $59