Puppetmongers Theatre to Present FRESH IDEAS IN PUPPETRY

Puppetmongers Theatre will present Fresh Ideas in Puppetry, online on June 1, 2024 and in person at the Puppetmongers' Studio (388 Carlaw Ave.) on June 2, 2024. Since 2006, this annual event has showcased artists taking new and groundbreaking directions in puppetry. Curated by Ann Powell and David Powell, this year's Fresh Ideas will feature exciting innovations and discoveries in the art of puppetry, with demonstrations, discussions, and performances from artists across Canada, India, the UK, Mexico, Los Angeles, Spain, and Switzerland.

At the forefront of puppetry arts in Canada, Puppetmongers Theatre is currently celebrating its 50th Anniversary Season. The Puppetmongers brother and sister team of Ann Powell and David Powell have won numerous awards and toured extensively in North America, Europe and the Middle East, earning a reputation as leaders and innovators in the field of puppetry. Puppetmongers Theatre has been bewitching audiences since 1974 with their exceptional and inventive creations, both for young audiences and adults, in addition to providing a collaborative learning space for the puppetry community, and mentorship opportunities for emerging, established, and multi-disciplinary artists interested in expanding their theatrical palette. FULL

SCHEDULE

Online presentations starting at 1:30pm ET
Saturday, June 1, 2024
Sphoorthi Theatre for Educational Puppetry, Art, and Craft (STEPARC) (India)
“Raitatma”– Puppetry in action: Life, Struggle and Challenge faced by Indian Farmers. A presentation about using puppets to show farmers' suffering to farmers, non-farmers, groups, individuals, institutions, and government.

Swallow's Wings Puppetry (London, UK)

Allons Enfants! A grassroots UK arts organisation experience. A collective of UK Black Creatives who strive to instill in children a love for African-Caribbean culture and history; they are committed to working with children, neurodiverse communities and elders.

The Holy Gasp (Toronto)

Out of the Hands of the Wicked (and into the hands of the competent)
An exclusive preview of The Holy Gasp's newest music video, followed by a presentation on the new work by writer Benjamin Hackman and director Luke Sargent, who will discuss their first foray into producing puppet cinema, and provide practical advice for other first-time producers.

Ricky Chavez (Los Angeles, US)

Making a Point: Turning Lyrics into Laughter
Los Angeles-based puppeteer Ricky Chavez talks through his process of creating a short-form puppetry piece from a song, and breaks down the creation process of the puppet and production for his most recent slam piece, “Cacti'm a Fool to Want You.”

Panther Aquila Teatro (Mexico)

Princess Wanted
A puppet play from independent Mexican-Venezuelan theatre company Panther Aquila, created in 2015. Directed by Hebert Poll Gutiérrez and Adriel Luna; performed by Carlos Asand and Marian Navlag.

FRAU TRAPP (Spain/Switzerland)

Five Lines
A multidisciplinary show where miniature models, words, music, acting, and audio-visuals create the story of a couple in the future.

Little Onion Puppet Co. (Vancouver)

Puppet Lab: An Exploration of Ideas and Questions
Craving some low-pressure space to experiment with form, investigate persistent questions, and deepen our understanding of puppetry, Randi Edmundson and Stephanie Elgersma devised this strange little question: what would happen if we got a handful of puppet nerds together in a room, each bringing a burning curiosity, and attempted to find some answers with one another?

Puppetry Panel

Moderated by Robin Polfuss; with Puppetmongers Theatre, Frank Meschkuleit, John Nolan & Kathy McLellan (Ottawa's Rag & Bone Puppet Theatre), Mike Harding (Applefun Puppetry), and Jim Morrow (Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia)

 Sunday, June 2, 2024
In-person presentations starting at 1:30pm ET
Pied Piper Puppets (Brooklyn, NY)
Homing
A segment from the original play “Homing,” which honors the life of heroic carrier pigeon, Cher Ami.

Puppetry eXploratory Laboratory 2024

A performance and talkback with this year's eXploratory Laboratory cohort. The Puppetry eXploratory Laboratory (PXL) is a program that brings together artists of any and all creative practices to explore the art of puppetry, with the guidance and assistance of Puppetmongers Ann and David Powell.

Ocean Shadows

Off-Piste (Excerpt from The Run)
Join Michelle and Meredith, intrepid adventurers in shadow form, as they ascend a mountain with stoke in their hearts. Will they go down in history for their grace on the slopes or will they just go down? With Keatonesque visual humour, they tread the fine lines skiing The Canadian Rockies.

Puppets & Shadow Theatre

The Shadow Book
A giant storybook with a shadow puppet screen that magically changes scenes as pages turn. While we've tested a basic version, we're now crafting a new show to enhance its storytelling capabilities. Arlene Thomas will present our latest puppet tale and innovative storytelling approach.

Sequoia Erickson & Robin Kadirgamar

Moondance
A transportable do-it-anywhere shadow puppet show about a young girl dealing with grief, finding magic and going on an adventure.

Honeyball Puppetry

Chloe and Meraki
From receiving an OAC Recommender grant to developing a full show for the Toronto Fringe Festival KidsFringe, Honeyball Puppetry will share some of the evolving and changing process of story development, puppet building, and world creation. Best of all, they'll bring their adorable dancing otters!

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DETAILS:

Saturday, June 1, 2024 – 1:30pm ET
Online event
Tickets $15

Sunday, June 2, 2024 – 1:30pm ET
In Person at the Puppetmongers Studio (Dundas St. & Carlaw Ave, Toronto)
Tickets $30

Full Festival: June 1 & 2, 2024 – Tickets $40

Fresh Ideas in Puppetry
June 1-2, 2024

Tickets available at puppetmongers.com
Media Contact: Victoria Laberge, victoria.laberge@gmail.com

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