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Never been to a festival? Click the image above
to see a slide show of what to expect.
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An amazing
part of every festival is the unique puppetry styles of the performances. The
festival committee has worked hard to fill this festival with the best talent available.
You'll see everything from traditional hand puppets and marionettes to modern forms
like tabletop and found object puppetry. Show descriptions appear below along with
tentative scheduling. Artistic
directors Bill Weber and Steve Abrams have lined up some
exciting acts including an evening of 12 short works collectively titled The O'Neill
Puppetry Conference Presents, Puppetry from There to Here to Tampa.
Performers include Heather Henson, Richard Termine, Gretchen Van Lente, and Jim
Napolitano. This is a unique opportunity to see these emerging artists. Look for
details of this evening to be added to this page soon.
Inside Sesame Street
Martin P. Robinson (Telly Monster & Mr. Snuffleupagus) Pam Arciero
(Grungetta) Annie Evans (writer for Sesame St) and Kathy Mullen (Kira in Dark Crystal and
Mokey Fraggle) (if her schedule permits) tell how they got to Sesame Street and what it is
like working there. These major creative contributors to Sesame Street and the
Muppets share stories about their careers in puppetry. |
Telly and Martin P. Robinson
photo courtesy of Rick
Lyon
Grungetta and Pam Arciero
photo courtesy of Rick
Lyon
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The Secrets of Puppet
Animation
7:30pm and 10:30pm, Tuesday
Part performance... part workshop... all packed into a theatre that will make you
say WOW!Puppet animated films will be
highlighted in a special program at the Tampa Festival. The unique creative talent of
puppet animators provides beautiful and strange images that will be appreciated by anyone
who loves the art of puppetry. Jeff Sias and Bryan Papciak have prepared a program
of short films and clips including work by the Brothers Quay and Jan Svankmejer. The
Secrets of Puppet Animation was a huge success at the regional festival in Boston. |
 Evolution
Tanya Khordoc, Barry Weil, & Brian Flumen
Two amoebas split from a single cell
and evolve together into fish, dinosaurs, monkeys, humans and everything in between. Their
relationship evolves as well, from confusion, to conflict, to something teasing and tender
that just might be love. Premiered August 24, 2000 at the HERE Arts Center in New York
City (as part of the Lincoln Center American Living Room series Puppet Parlor).
Barry Weil and Tanya Khordoc last
collaborated on the controversial 1997 puppet film The Jack O'Lantern Lady (which also
featured Brian Flumen) and both contributed to Eric Jacobson's Galileo's Telescope.
Barry's award-winning puppet film Crittervision was a featured attraction at the 1995 P of
A National Festival in Bryn Mawr, PA. When not performing, he is the assistant director
and theatre/puppetry coordinator of the nationally acclaimed LEVELS cultural center for
teenagers in Great Neck, New York. Tanya attended the Eugene O'Neill National Puppetry
Conference in 1996. She is currently developing a piece with Barry entitled Secrets
History Remembers, based on her collage work, with original music compositions. Tanya
enjoys creating original puppet pieces with her preschool children at the Berkeley Carroll
School in Brooklyn, New York and was recently awarded a grant from the Parents Association
to continue this work. |
Orlando Furioso presents
The Torture Chamber of Dr. Bear
Late Night, Monday
"Dr. Bear" is a kids' show spoof in which a burnt-out bear puppet loses
control of his TV program and ultimately his life. "It's like the E! True
Hollywood Story," actor/playwright Sean Keohane explains,
"but without that guy's voice."Portions of this show may not be suitable for children. |
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The Crowtations
8:30pm, Friday
The Crowtations, part of the Brewery Troupe, is made up of
four high-flying, smooth-sounding, foot-kicking birds. Under the creative leadership
of founder Brad Brewer, this group of performers is the first African American puppet
company to gain recognition on Broadway, in feature film, on network television and major
concert performances. The Crowtations began life as a part of the production about Harriet
Tubman, in which they served as guides to the Underground Railroad and freedom. They were
instantly popular and soon their career took off. These four loveable characters have
performed throughout the nation including on the Rosie O'Donnell show, at Lincoln Center
and Central Park in New York City and they also appeared in an international Coke
commercial! |
The Puppet Show of Don Cristobal
1:00pm and 3:30pm, Thursday
Combining his unique poetic lyricism and the rough folk humor of the traditional
trickster Don Cristobal., Lorca has created a classic script for the puppet theater.
Following the path of Punch and Judy this play is a bawdy telling of Cristobal’s
wooing and marriage to the delectable Miss Rosita.For nine years Blair Thomas was co-artistic director of
Redmoon Theater, a puppet and spectacle company founded in 1989. There he made all sorts
of puppet shows, parades, pageants and award winning productions most notably: Moby Dick,
Frankenstein, The Evil Flower, You Hold My Heart Between Your Teeth, and the Winter
Pageant. In addition to creating this show, he recently directed de Falla’s chamber
puppet opera Master Peter’s Puppet Show for the Chicago Opera Theater. Currently he
is the coordinator for the Puppetry Institute a summer training program at the School of
the Art Institute of Chicago. He is also a second year Dharma student at the Zen Buddhist
Temple in Chicago. |
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Bonus Double Feature!
See a show by renowned model toy theatre expert, Robert Poulter, from England. |
Peter Pan
1:15pm, 2:15pm and 3:15pm, Wednesday
Brother Jon Bankert is a Franciscan Friar, a member of Society of Saint Francis, a
world-wide religious order within the Anglican Communion. He has been a friar for
twenty years.Br. Jon has been a
puppeteer for fifty years. Although he has what can be most kindly described as a
checkered career, the one constant in his life has been puppetry. He has performed
professionally for the last 25 years in both secular and religious venues.
The Vest Pocket Playhouse is the realization of a
dream that Br. Jon has had since his teens, of having his own theater and performing
classics in the Toy Theater medium. Toy Threater appeals to the Poverty part of Br.
Jon's vocation, and the simplicity of means for the maximum theatrical effect makes
traveling with his productions a joy. |
Gypsies
7:00pm and 9:00pm, Thursday
Los Titiriteros de Binefar comes to the festival from Spain to perform
"Gypsies." These talented performers have performed to great acclaim
everywhere from the Guggenheim Museum in New York to the fevelas of San Paolo, Brazil.
If you missed them in Toledo (they were a hit) don't miss this opportunity. |
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Poemes Visuals
1:00pm and 3:00pm, Friday
Using letters made of foam rubber, this group creates a universe of characters,
games, choreographers, humor and dramatic actions, where it is shown that letters are not
only for filling pieces of paper and computers. With them they have constructed an
exciting world inspired by the poetics of Joan Brossa.This Barcelona group was reviewed as "incredible
!!! Magic, original, and worth the whole trip to France - " at Charleville-Mezieres last year. If you miss them in
Tampa, you'll have to fly all the way to Brazil to see their next performance.
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Don Quixote
1:00pm and 3:30pm, Tuesday
Join the heroic adventures of Don Quixote, the most famous madman in western
literature, as he quests for chivalry and romance in this puppet adaptation of the
Cervantes classic. Reality and delusion collide in this tale of transformation.
An inn becomes a castle, a flock of sheep turns into an army, a windmill unfolds
into a giant, and an old man and his servant become defenders of faith, honor and glory.Don Quixote was created for the adult new directions series at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. Director, Bobby Box
joined the center in Atlanta in 1991 and he became an Associate Producer in 1996. His work
as director, performer, and writer, made a strong impression at the 1997 festival in
Toledo.
Don Quixote received funds from the National
Endowment for the Arts and the Puppeteers of America Endowment Fund. |
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The Talking Eggs
1:00pm and 3:30pm, Tuesday
Karen Konnerth of Calliope Puppet and Mask Theatre is a first time festival
performer from New Orleans. The Talking Eggs includes hand puppets,
marionettes, shadows, masks, and Cajun music to present a traditional folk tale.Known for her diversity and artistry in puppet theater, Karen has
thrilled audiences with her original performances. With a B.A. in Art and Sociology and
teaching certificate in primary art from Tufts University and an M.A. in Art Education
from the Rhode Island School of Design, Karen has also served as Coordinator for
Children’s Programs for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for several
years. |
Anasi, Spiderman of
Africa!
7:00pm and 9:00pm, Monday
Crabgrass Puppet Theatre (Bonnie Hall and Jamie Keithline) blends traditional
African design, infectious music and fabulous puppetry with beautiful hand-dyed fabrics
and a high-energy performance in its adaptation of African Anansi tales .They describe this show as "A side-splitting selection of famous
folktales from Africa starring Anansi the Spider, whose appetite always overrules his
intellect. Anansi loves to eat and hates to work, so he tries to trick other animals out
of their food. But there's no free lunch for Anansi, because all of his schemes leave him
hungrier than ever!"
Included tales are:
- Two Feasts for Anansi (How Spider Got a Thin
Waist)
- Anansi Finds the Food (Why Spider Lives Alone)
- Anansi and the Magic Rock (Why Spiders are Found
Under Rocks)
- The Hat-Shaking Dance (Why Spider Has a Bald Head)
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Hansel & Gretel
10:00am, Saturday
Yes, it's Puppet Celebration's new musical Hansel and Gretel starring
the renown character actress, Miss Katherine Kitsch, in the pivotal role of Ginger the
Witch. Miss Kitsch won the “Willie Award” for her performance in the
Georgia Globe Theatre production of Macbeth. She played all three witches,
simultaneously. Despite her recent hip surgery, Miss Kitsch will grace the Falk
Theatre stage, across the street from the Festival, with a rare “star turn”
following her Hansel and Gretel tour de force. This Puppet Celebration marionette production will close the festival
on Saturday morning. Renowned marionette puppeteer Pady Blackwood heads the cast.
Puppet Celebration was founded over a year ago by
children's performer/writer/director David Eaton. David has performed as a puppeteer
with Jim Henson, Bil Baird, Sid and Marty Krofft and Nicolo Marionettes. His credits
also include eight years as television's Bozo the Clown in Ohio and as host of TV's
The Good Time Invention. As a professional actor, David has toured with the Prince
Street Players in addition to acting and directing at regional and dinner theatres
throughout the U.S. |
Diary of a Madman
1:00pm and 3:30pm, Thursday
Richard Termine worked with the Jim Henson company beginning in 1980. Since 1992 he
has served as the Artistic Director of the National Puppetry Conference. The cast includes
Daniel Tamulonis who was honored with an Unima citation, and Kathy Mullen.
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Richard
Termine, Director
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Martin
P. Robinson, Director
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Jackstraws in a
Windtunnel
7:00pm and 9:00pm, Monday
Jackstraws is an evolutionary piece performed live to music, without words. It
follows the formation of the universe, organization of matter, ascendancy of man, and how
our choices along this path affect our future. A Jackstraw is a rough image of mankind.
The Wind Tunnel is that which teaches and tests us. The cast includes Jodi
Eichelberger, Sesame Street writer Annie Evans, Mary Robinette Harrison, Scott Hitz,
Jim Napolitano, and Bobbie Nidzgorski (music).The production is designed and directed by Martin P. Robinson, who
performs Mr. Snuffleupagus and Telly Monster on Sesame Street. He created the
character Audrey Two in Little Shop of Horrors. |
Animalitos
7:00pm and 9:00pm, Wednesday
1998 UNIMA Citation award winner Michael Nelson brings us his collection of Aesop's
fables woven together in a magical puppet dance. A rabbit starts a race with a tortoise,
but seeing that he has plenty of time, he wanders off, and gets involved with a fox who is
trying to court a crane with a romantic dinner for two. With some clever tricks they
manage to get some food to serve but things go awry when the fox talks the rabbit into
being the waiter for the meal. Meanwhile the tortoise is getting closer and closer to the
finish line... |
Magical
Moonshine Theatre
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Brick Brothers Circus
7:00pm and 9:00pm, Thursday
Three time UNIMA award winning (1978, 1986, 1995) performers, David & Ann
Powell, bring bricks to life as they (the bricks) perform some of your favorite circus
acts.Hear live and recorded music you
enjoy the antics of such acts as Bricko the Clown, a trapeze artist brick, black belt
bricks engaged in battle, and the popular family of gymnasts from the former
Brickoslovakia. |
Johnny Appleseed
1:30pm and 3:00pm, Wednesday
Puppeteer and storyteller Katie Adams weaves the story of Johnny Appleseed from the
early days of the United States. Puppets crafted like old fashioned toys, calico
scenery, and home spun props are all part of the show. Puppets pop out of the quilt
to tell the story. Each square of the quilt is an episode in the life of the tall
tale character Johnny Appleseed. |
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Eulenspiegel
Puppet Theatre
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Two Solo Shows: Little Red Riding
Hood & Driving the Body Back
2:00pm and 3:30pm, Wednesday
Eulenspiegel brings us two performances, the first being its adaptation of
the beloved Little Red Riding Hood Grimms fairy tale, which uses delightfully
crafted miniature Bohemian marionettes created by puppeteer Monica Leo. The set is
an extra-large pop-up storybook also designed and created by Leo. The script, laced with
wit and whimsy, was written by puppeteer Teri Jean Breitbach. The production was directed
by well-known director Michael Sokoloff. In addition to seven puppets, the cast
includes a wacky, flamboyant storyteller who relates to the audience as well as the
puppets.Next, Teri
Jean Breitbach will present Driving the Body Back, a performance for adults,
written by nationally renowned poet Mary Swander. This evocative piece incorporates
movement, found objects, a childıs doll, and painted silks with Swanderıs resonating
language, creating an unforgettable group of eccentric midwestern characters that will
make you laugh until you cry and cry until you laugh! |
Richard Bradshaw
8:00pm, Sunday
Olympic Gold Medallist (well, he's from Australia at least) Richard Bradshaw keeps
his audiences bound to their seats with fascination while they roll on the floor with
laughter. Now this international talent brings his delightful shadow antics to
Tampa. |
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Tanglewood
Marionettes
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Perseus and Medusa
1:00pm and 3:00pm, Friday
Tanglewood received a standing ovation at the 1997 Toledo
Festival for their production of "Arabian Knights," which won an UNIMA
Citation of Excellence. This festival, they bring us Perseus and Medusa,
a lavish production with beautifully painted scrolling sets. |
Science & Puppets 2001
1:00pm and 2:30pm, Wednesday
Celebrate the new millennium with some of science's greatest minds (and a cute
little alien robotic droid). Through the magic of puppetry the audience learns first hand
what it takes to be a scientist. The inventor of the fireplace teaches how great
technology fills a need or solves a problem. Gutenberg illustrates the power of the
printed word and how new tools can expand your abilities. Copernicus explains how
careful, meticulous work and writing are important for science. Ben Franklin
illustrates the importance of reading and education. Marie Curie teaches that anyone
can be a scientist regardless of gender, religion or nationality. This 45 minute program
utilizes robotic, Bunraku, rod, hand and body puppets along with live action and video. |
Reed Marionettes
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Dragon Tales
7:00pm and 9:00pm, Wednesday
Randel McGee is a ventriloquist, comedian, guitar playing, puppeteer.
Join him in Tampa for Dragon Tales. Maybe if you ask nicely, you can meet his friend
Goark. |
Puss in Boots
1:00pm and 3:30pm, Monday
Andrew and Bonnie Periale, winners of UNIMA Citations in 1991 and 1999, bring us
their version of this classic Charles Perrault tale
in which a dozen hand puppets in
gorgeous costumes are introduced by a breakdancing, rapping cat. |
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Jonah and Other Stories From A
Good Book
1:00pm and 3:30pm, Monday
In this performance, Lee
Bryan blends object puppetry and audience participation with stories from Hebrew
tradition. The puppeteer portrays a roving peddler who tells the stories of Esther, Daniel
and Jonah with household items from his cart, such as baskets, pots and kitchen utensils. |
Shakespeare Review
1:00pm and 3:15pm, Wednesday
Jim Rose makes regular appearances as a puppeteer and Shakespearean actor at
banquets and period reenactment fairs and at the nationally known and highly respected
eighteenth century Fair at New Boston. This July, come enjoy his work while William
Shalespeare serves as our Master of Ceremonies as Jim's carved marionettes do scenes from
the plays. |
Jim Rose
Yellow Springs, OH |
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Vida, Amor y Risa
8:30pm, Friday
Carlos Alvarez is a clown,
mime, and puppeteer of extreme talent. He will be bringing his comedic skills from
his home town of Medellin, Colombia to Tampa with his show Vida, Amor y Risa
(Life, Love and Laughter). |
We will be listing more performers as the festival
draws nearer, so keep checking back. Would you like to be on the update list?
Click here to add yourself.
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