Workshops
The argument for rod puppets
By Art Grueneberger of Puppet Art Theater (Sacramento, CA)
Explore why the primate brain is built to do the heavy lifting in puppetry so you don't have to. Discover the advantages of rod puppets over other styles. Learn how their lightweight simple construction makes them ideal for both intricate performances and larger-scale productions.
Dive into the realm of simple mechanisms that can enhance rod puppets. From basic lever systems to more advanced mechanisms, uncover how these additions can elevate the storytelling potential of your creations. Learn the basics to master manipulating rod puppets. Gain a solid understanding of the fundamental techniques, including rod manipulation for specific character movement and conveying emotions through gesture and posture.
Whether you're a seasoned puppeteer or a curious beginner, join us for an immersive experience that will ignite your creativity and leave you inspired to bring your rod puppet characters to life!
Levels: All
Format: Single session (90 minutes)
No Max / No Materials
Foam prototyping and patterning
By Steve Troop of Puppet Troop (Newport Beach, CA)
Create your own patterns from scratch, or modify existing patterns to construct puppets, costumes, and materials out of foam. The workshop will focus on the technique of prototyping designs in flat foam, creating and truing up a pattern by using only 1/2 inch upholstery foam, contact cement, cardboard and paper.
Levels: Beginner-Intermediate
Format: Double session (3 hour block)
Max Participants: 30
Materials Fee: $10 (foam and glue)
mechanical stuff for puppeteers
By Kurt Hunter of Kurt Hunter Marionettes (Minneapolis, MN)
A general understanding of structures, forces and moving parts will help you create stable puppets, stages and mechanisms that do what you need and hold up over time. Simple ideas will be demonstrated with simple materials plus plenty of practical examples. Workshop participants will leave with an understanding of the key principles for strength and stability of structures for puppets and stages and how forces affect the design of moving parts and mechanisms.
Levels: All
Format: Single session (90 minutes)
No Max Participants / No Materials Fee
pop-up stages
By Monica Leo of Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre Company (West Liberty, IA)
Learn to make your own pop-up book puppet stage! Monica Leo will demonstrate several pop-up book stages, explain the techniques, answer questions, and guide participants in crafting your own mock-ups of pop-up puppetry art.
Levels: Beginner - Advanced
Format: Double session (3 hour block)
Max Participants: 15
Materials Fee: $5 (paper, cardstock, poster board, glue, tape)
Puppetry and improv - creativity catalysts
By Johanna Smith (Pomona, CA)
Explore puppet improv exercises developed by Professor Johanna Smith - let’s throw away the script and dive into joy and powerful learning! Participants will play together and brainstorm ways to apply puppet improv concepts to their own puppetry practice.
Levels: All
Format: Single session (90 minutes)
Max Participants: 28
Materials Fee: $5 (Basic tools for several variations of improvised puppets)
double down on yourself: self-care for the puppeteer's body!
By Kat Pleviak of Sea Beast Puppet Company (Chicago, IL)
Experience stretches, restorative yoga techniques, and exercises curated just for puppeteers! We often find ourselves sitting for hours at the computer or holding weird positions while squished behind a playboard, under a table, or hunched over a projector. That’s not great for our bodies! This relaxing & interactive class will help focus your mind & keep your body feeling great in simple, achievable ways for all puppeteers.
Levels: Beginner - Intermediate
Format: TBD
Max Participants: 16 <flexible to space>
Materials Fee: $5 suggested donation for cleaning supplies, etc.
LILA physical theatre lab
By Jessica Lanius of Theatre LILA / Art House 360 (Verona, WI)
This dynamic Theatre LILA workshop delves into the power of physicality in storytelling. Through playful exploration of movement, gesture, and object work, participants will explore unique character bodies, voices and build physical stories through collaboration and play. This workshop encourages experimentation, improvisation, and playful exploration of movement possibilities to foster creativity and a sense of invention.
Levels: All
Format: Single session (90 minutes)
Max Participants: 24
No materials fee
manipulate me: ensemble puppetry
By Aretta Baumgartner (Atlanta, GA)
Puppetry is the perfect exploration and celebration of joyful collaboration! We’ll use simple, effective, multi-person puppets in ensemble performance and enjoy playful discovery. Participants will immerse themselves in fun, collaborative, non-threatening performance activities inspired by Japanese ningyo-joruri puppetry. Come away with new respect for breath, gravity/weight, and the power of "disappearing" into puppetry!
Levels: Intermediate - Advanced
Format: Single session (90 minutes)
Max Participants: 24
No Materials Fee
following the passion for puppetry around the globe
By Bonnie Kim (Keaau, HI)
Learn how to make puppet adventure travels around the world as an independent artist - going over different types of puppetry trips and exploring international puppetry scenes. This presentation will offer insight information to help you connect with puppeteers and folks all around the world.
Levels: All
Format: Single session (90 minutes)
Max Participants: 35
No Materials Fee
Shadow theater and 2d puppets for staged theater with actors
By Cat Aceto (Pittsburgh, PA)
Explore how shadow theatre using multiple light sources, shadow puppets, and actor and object silhouettes can facilitate production of full length shows that might otherwise be too expensive.
Part 1 - Creating: Building shadow puppets with joints and mechanisms in an easy intuitive way that requires no math or engineering understanding. Creating complex, multilayered shadows on a budget using multiple kinds of light sources (including flashlights, overhead projectors, and work lights) together with shadow puppets, gels and other color sources, actor silhouettes, and object theatre. Using multiple light sources and layered shadow effects to create movement and emotion.
Part 2 - Staging: Incorporating shadow theater techniques and/or 2D puppets into live action full length theatre on a miniscule budget. Exploring the interaction of light sources using simultaneous lighting on the front and back of the screen, using a variety of lighting (including flashlights, overhead projectors, and work lights), screen materials, and screen holders. Finding and evaluating props and prop construction. Directing and blocking actors in silhouette. Use of shadow theatre to reduce memorization load (particularly useful for short rehearsal or multiple doubling) without visible scripts.
Levels: All
Format: Part 1 is a single session (90 minutes), Part 2 is a single session (90 minutes)
Max Participants: Any
No Materials Fee
Ball and string: concentration exercises
By Sarah Frechette of Puppet Kabob (Georgia, VT)
Sarah Frechette of Puppet Kabob will lead a workshop on Ball and String: Concentration Exercises, sharing wisdom from Meisterklasse drawing on her years of study with German Master Albrecht Roser and assistant Ingrid Höfer. Together, we’ll explore topics such as the role of gravity, predictability vs surprise, production vs creation, connecting with materials, and partnering with the string puppet and with the audience. All of this while guiding a series of practice exercises with the simplest marionette: Ball and String!
Levels: Beginner - Intermediate
Format: Single session (90 minutes)
Max Participants: 12
No Materials Fee
backstage choreography: organizing yourself and your show
By Stephanie Vallez of Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre Company (West Liberty, IA)
Backstage Choreography is everything. Organizing your show, your self, your props, and your vehicle will take your puppet show from amateur hour into the prime time! Participants will talk about space, weight, packing, and most importantly organizing props in ways that make sense for performance. We will focus on organization - starting with booking the gig, ending with putting it all back in the car, and every step in between. This workshop will help you to never be feeling around in the dark wondering where that puppet went!
Levels: Beginner - Intermediate
Format: Single session (90 minutes)
No Max / No Materials Fee
don't forget your story!
By Debbie Lutzky Allen of Parasol Puppets (Jamesport, MO)
Participants will think about what story we want to communicate and what the characters need to do to tell the story, and then what puppetry style will work best. We will practice with and/or make very simple versions of shadow, rod, string and hand puppets and play with them to see how they can illustrate our specific stories. Explore how different puppet styles have different strengths that visually tell your story, and become comfortable trying simple ways to create expressive puppets using the puppets’ natural style and movements to show the story rather than just telling it.
Levels: All
Format: Double session (3 hour block)
Max Participants: 20
No Materials Fee
The Wonder of Cotton Sculpting
Matthew McGee of Matt-a-Magical (Glendale, AZ)
Needle felting meets paper mache meets paper clay, in this unique technique that uses inexpensive, easy-to-find materials that create lightweight, sturdy, paintable sculptures. Get your hands dirty in this hands-on workshop.
Levels: Intermediate - Advanced
Format: Single session (90 minutes)
Max Participants: 25
Materials Fee: $5 (Glue, cotton balls, paint brushes, cups, paper towels, etc.)
