Tanglewood Marionettes Return To Flushing Town Hall, December 11

On Saturday, December 11, the award-winning Tanglewood Marionettes return to Flushing Town Hall with an underwater fantasy based on Chinese folklore. The Dragon King, featuring colorful sea creatures, an exciting adventure, and gorgeous hand-crafted marionettes, will inspire a love for puppetry in children and adults alike.

The Dragon King will captivate audiences of all ages with a story that transports viewers to a land overtaken by a terrible drought, where everything has turned brown and lifeless. An intrepid grandmother journeys to the bottom of the sea in search of the elusive Dragon King, ruler over all things water, to find out why he has not brought the life-giving rains.

Tanglewood Marionettes last performed Dragon King, as well as the classic fairy tale Cinderella, to a sold-out audience at Flushing Town Hall in 2018. To meet the high demand and allow for social distancing this year, Flushing Town Hall will host two separate shows on December 11, allowing for smaller audiences, at 11 AM and 2 PM. Each performance will be presented to both an in-person and virtual audience.

Founded in 1993, Tanglewood Marionettes is a nationally touring marionette theater based in New England. Large, beautifully hand-crafted marionettes, colorful sets, and integrated lighting and sound create a fully immersive theatrical experience. Its highly skilled puppeteers have spent many years perfecting their art and delighting audiences of all ages as they bring a repertoire of classic tales to life. Tanglewood Marionettes is the recipient of two UNIMA awards, puppetry's highest honor, for The Dragon King and An Arabian Adventure.

Peter and Anne Schaefer are the leading puppeteers of Tanglewood Marionettes and their Dragon King performance.

Peter Schaefer was born into a family of puppeteers, and has been performing with hand puppets, rod puppets, and marionettes since he was knee-high. After apprenticing with the Bennington Puppets for several years, Peter purchased a marionette show and launched his own company. After touring nationally, Peter decided to join forces with a fellow puppeteer and Tanglewood Marionettes was born.

Anne Schaefer on the other hand, would have never thought of becoming a puppeteer when she was young. Now, however, she can't imagine being anything else. After studying art and philosophy in college, Anne took a summer job with the Bennington Puppets of Bennington, VT. The summer job turned into five years of intensive puppetry during which Anne immersed herself in the many facets of puppet theater. In 1993, Anne joined with Peter Schaefer in forming Tanglewood Marionettes.

"We are thrilled to welcome back the amazing puppeteers of Tanglewood Marionettes for two shows of The Dragon King," says Flushing Town Hall's Director of Education and Public Programs, Gabrielle M. Hamilton. "Audiences of all ages will be enchanted by the wonderful puppets as they come to life and share this heart-warming adventure story with a grandmother as the heroine. We are so pleased to be offering exciting live entertainment to young children again in a safe space this holiday season."

Families have the option to attend the performance in-person, or to watch the live-stream online. The performance is recommended for children in pre-K through sixth grade. In-person tickets are $12/$8 Members & Children, and virtual tickets are $5/$3 Members. For more information, visit www.flushingtownhall.org or call (718) 463-7700 x222.

COVID Policy: In adherence with Mayor De Blasio's Covid policy for performance venues, Flushing Town Hall will require all visitors ages 12 and up, performers, and staff to show proof of vaccination. Masks will be required at all times for everyone. For more details on Flushing Town Hall's Covid-safety measures and vaccine requirements, please visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/covid-safety.

Flushing Town Hall is accessible by car, bus, train and foot - located a short distance from the 7 train - at 137-35 Northern Blvd., in Flushing, Queens. Access for wheelchair users and individuals with limited mobility is available.