International Puppet Fringe Festival Returns, Featuring 40+ Live Puppet Troupes, Films, Puppet Red Carpet and More
Company:
International Puppet Fringe Festival
The International Puppet Fringe Festival, New York’s only international fringe festival dedicated to puppetry, returns August 11-31 with performances by leading puppet makers and troupes from around the world. Organized by Teatro SEA, Grupo Morán (The Morán Group) and The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Education Center, the festival will include live performances held at La Plaza at The Clemente Center in the Lower East Side, as well as virtual performances, workshops, film screenings, and exhibitions.
“Puppetry channels the joy, the energy and the artistry of New Yorkers, and our festival brings this talent to the international stage,” said Dr. Manuel Morán, founder and producer of the International Puppet Fringe Festival. “During the pandemic, when our curtains couldn’t go up, our roster of puppet makers and puppeteers were eagerly preparing to enthrall audiences with their creative talents, and we can’t wait to finally share their work with you.”
Rich puppetry traditions from around the world converge in New York, where talented puppeteers and troupes have developed an artform that is distinct to the city. As the city brings back live events, the International Puppet Fringe Festival will kick off with a week of in-person performances from August 11-15. Many of the live Puppet Fringe events are free, outdoors, and open to the public, welcoming New Yorkers back to the world of live puppet performance.
Additional events, panel discussions, and exhibitions will round out the week, highlighting New Yorkers’ contributions to the international puppet community, and bringing new audiences into the fold. Partners for the festival include the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), Museum of the City of New York, LATEA Theater and The Center for Puppetry Arts. The festival honors Center for Puppetry Arts founder Vincent Anthony, and will include appearances by Lamb Chop, Mallory Lewis and Leslee Asch.
The festival also continues with virtual international performances by troupes from around the world who are still unable to travel due to the pandemic. Artists span countries including South Korea, Israel, Spain, Argentina, Côte d’Ivoire, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, and India. Virtual events also include panel discussions and short films.
The full program listing is available below and at puppetfringenyc.com.
International Puppet Fringe Festival
EVENTS & PERFORMANCES
August 11-15, 2021
Location: The Clemente Center, 107 Suffolk Street, NYC
Wednesday, August 11th
5:30pm - Puppet Celebrity Red Carpet
6:00pm - Opening Remarks and festival’s dedication to Vincent Anthony
6:30pm - The Triple Zhongkui Pageant by Chinese Theatre Works
7:00pm - Los Grises/The Gray Ones by SEA
8:00 pm - The Shari Lewis Legacy Show by Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop
9:00 pm - Opening of:
Puppets of New York: Downtown at The Clemente
Vince Anthony’s Legacy
Teatro SEA’s International Collaborations
Murals of Puppetry around the World
Thursday, August 12th
11:00am
Puppets of New York: Downtown at The Clemente
Vince Anthony’s Legacy
Teatro SEA’s International Collaborations
Murals of Puppetry around the World
1 pm- Títeres en el Caribe Hispano: Episode 1: Cuba (42 min.), Episode 2: Dominican Republic (52 min.) & Episode 3: Puerto Rico (70 min.)
Puppets of New York Opening Celebration at Museum of the City of New York
6:00pm - Puppet Celebrity Red Carpet (Hosted by Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop)
7:00pm - Los Grises/The Gray Ones by SEA
8:00pm - Muppets Take Manhattan Screening (PAID ENTRANCE)
Friday, August 13th
3pm - UNIMA-USA Membership Annual Meeting
4pm - Out of the Shadows Panel
4pm - Karagoz by U.S. Karagoz Theatre Company
5pm - Salt Over Gold by Czechoslovak by American Marionette Theatre
5pm- Dreamscapes short films (Adult)
6pm - La Macanuda by Deborah Hunt
6:30pm - The Triple Zhongkui Pageant Chinese Theatre Works
7pm - Los Grises/The Gray Ones by SEA
8pm - Great Small Works Spaghetti Dinner Cabaret Puppet Slam
Saturday, August 14th
11am - Little Red's Hood by Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre
11am - Penguin in my Pocket by Kurt Hunter
12pm - UNIMA-USA Symposium - UNIMA Social Justice Symposium
12pm - Dreamscapes short films (Family Edition)
1pm - Los Colores de Frida / The Colors of Frida by SEA
1pm - The Marzipan Bunny by A Couple of Puppets
1pm - Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup by WonderSpark Puppets
2pm- Títeres en el Caribe Hispano: Episode 1: Cuba (42 min.) y Episode 3: Puerto Rico (70 min.)
2:30 pm - Teatro SEA's Theatre Book Series Presentation
3pm - Beautiful Blackbird: An African Folktale by Lovely Day Creative Arts
4pm - Once upon a time in the Lower East Side... by JunkTown Duende
4pm - Karagoz by U.S. Karagoz Theatre Company
5pm- Puppet States by Paulette Richards
5pm - Salt Over Gold by Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre
6pm - La Macanuda by Deborah Hunt
6:30pm - The Triple Zhongkui Pageant by Chinese Theatre Works
7pm - Los Grises/The Gray Ones by SEA
8pm - PGOGNYC present The Bawdy, Naughty Puppet Cabaret / Puppet Slam
Sunday, August 15th
11am - Little Red's Hood by Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre
11am - Beautiful Blackbird: An African Folktale by Lovely Day Creative Arts
11am - The Marzipan Bunny by A Couple of Puppets
11:30 am - Giant Puppet Encounter & Mascot Encounter
12pm - Dreamscapes short films (Family Edition)
1pm - Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup by WonderSpark Puppets
1pm -2-D Puppet Workshop for kids by Junktown Duende
1pm - Penguin in my Pocket by Kurt Hunter
2pm - Títeres en el Caribe Hispano: Episode 2: República Dominicana (52 min.) & Episode3: Puerto Rico (70min.)
3pm - The Pura Belpré Project by SEA
3pm - Harlem River Drive by Bruce Cannon
4pm - Karagoz by U.S. Karagoz Theatre Company
5pm - Once upon a time in the Lower East Side… by JunkTown Duende
5pm - Salt Over Gold by Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre
6pm - La Macanuda by Deborah Hunt
6:30pm - The Triple Zhongkui Pageant by Chinese Theatre Works
7pm - Los Grises/The Gray Ones by SEA
8pm - Puppet Dance Party
Monday, August 16th
8pm – When land becomes Water by The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust (India)
Tuesday, August 17th
7pm – A Conversation with Vincent Anthony, founder of the Center for Puppetry Arts hosted by Manuel Morán and John Ludwig
8pm – La Main qui donne by Soro Badrissa (Cote d’Ivoire, Africa)
Wednesday, August 18th
4pm – Conversations with Puppet Fringe Artists and Troupes in English
8pm – La Main qui donne by Soro Badrissa (Cote d’Ivoire, Africa)
Thursday, August 19th
7pm – Puppetry 101 with Aretta Baumgartner (Workshop)
Puppets have been used to tell stories since theatre began and can be found everywhere from stage to screen. Puppetry celebrates all aspects of the arts and is a “must-have” skill on every resume! Join us for this basic puppetry primer for adults that covers an overview of puppet styles and their cultural connections, voice/body/mind warm-ups, and puppetry basics using objects. Come ready to move and play!
8pm – Alicia en busca del conejo blanco by Teatro de las estaciones (Cuba)
Friday, August 20th
3:00pm – Handmade Puppet Dreams: Kidscapes (Family – Short Films)
8pm – Spinning A Tail by Bait 9 (Israel)
Saturday, August 21st
10:30am – Dreamscapes by Handmade Puppet Dreams (FAMILY) (Short Films)
11am – lara the Waters’ Charm by Cia Lumiato (Brazil)
12pm – Puppetry Museums around the World Panel
Sunday, August 22nd
11am – Spinning A Tail by Bait 9 (Israel)
Monday, August 23th
8pm – La Caja by Escultores del Aire (Barcelona, Spain)
Tuesday, August 24th
7pm – Puppetry and its healing properties in therapy Hosted by Erica Scandoval and Karen Ciego
8pm – lara the Waters’ Charm by Cia Lumiato (Brazil)
Wednesday, August 25th
8pm – The Cellos’ Dialogue by Deniz Khateri (Iran/Brooklyn, NY)
Thursday, August 26th
8pm – Deshuesadero Suite by Deshuesadero T (Mexico)
Friday, August 27th
7pm – JunkTown Duende Cabaret @ Kabayitos (El Clemente)
8pm – Handmade Puppet Dreams: Dreamscapes (Short Films)
FILMS INCLUDED:
“Cone of Shame” from Stacey Weingarten and Randall S. Overland
“Marianne’s Onion” from Alex and Olmsted
“Our Mine” from Shayna Strype
“Hamlin” from Jerrell Henderson
“Playing Opposum” from Julie Elkins
“The Moon is Cheese” from Eric Wright
“The Memory Trade” from Jon Riddleberger
“Goodnight Shadow” from Myra Su
“Ham” from Rudy Martinez
“Gut Feelings” from Vanessa Valliere and John Gregorio
Saturday, August 28th
11am – Con un kilo de harina by Fernan Cardana (Argentina) PREMIERE
12pm – Conversations with Puppet Fringe Artists and Troupes in English
Meet 2021 International Puppet Fringe NYC National and International participants and learn more about their performances.
3pm – Dixon Place presents Puppet BloK @ La Esquinita (Canopy)
Sunday, August 29th
11am – Alicia en busca del conejo blanco by Teatro de las estaciones (Cuba)
3pm – Dixon Place presents Puppet BloK @ La Esquinita (Canopy)
Monday, August 30th
8pm – Dallae Story by ArtstageSAN (South Korea)
Tuesday, August 31st
7pm – “Glocal” Rethinking, American Puppetry: Opening Eyes Wider by UNIMA-USA’s World Encyclopedia Puppetry Arts
Karen Smith, President UNIMA-International, Editor World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts
Paulette Richards, Museum Guest Curator, and Independent Scholar and UNIMA-USA and Puppeteers of America Inclusion and Diversity Representative Kathy Foley, President UNIMA-USA
EXHIBITIONS
Puppets of New York: Downtown at the Clemente
Exhibition on view August 11-September 30
Opening Reception: August 11, 2021, 5 - 8PM
Location: The Clemente Center, 107 Suffolk Street, NYC
This exhibition focuses on 12 important “downtown” artists who are committed to exploring the theatrical possibilities of puppet theater, and features tableaus of their puppet theater work. Many of the featured artists performed at Henson Festivals, and all continue to create and perform in downtown NYC. Co-curated by Leslee Asch, the producing director of all five Henson Foundation International Festivals of Puppet Theater, and Monxo López of the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY).
Puppets of New York
Exhibition on view August 13, 2021- March 2022
Opening Reception and Puppet Red Carpet: August 12, 2021, 7 PM
Location: Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue, NYC
This exhibition explores the extraordinary, surprising, and diverse history of New York City’s quirkiest residents. From Punch and Judy to Oscar the Grouch; from Lamb Chop to the Lion King; from Lunar New Year to the Thanksgiving Day parade, the marionettes, shadow figures, and rod and hand puppets of New York have regaled our stages, studios, and streets. They have been broadcast all across the globe, and over time have reshaped the puppetry traditions of many cultures.
Also on view at The Clemente:
Exhibitions on Vince Anthony’s Legacy and Puppetry around the World
Murals of Puppetry around the World
Exhibition on International Collaboration / SEA Puppetry
This exhibition will highlight the different types of puppets used throughout SEA’s history, providing a sample of SEA’s puppets and characters. The various puppets featured include shadow, cabezudos, vejigantes, hand and rod puppets, in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles. These puppets were created by the international artists Deborah Hunt (New Zealand-Puerto Rico), Ingrid Hamster Harris (Holland-Canada), Zenén Calero (Cuba), Víctor Navarro (Spain), Shinde Chithambara Rao (India), Álvaro Ortega Beltrán (Spain), Cristina Arancibia (Chile) and José López (Puerto Rico), who was SEA’s Puppet Master and Designer for 30 years.
About the International Puppet Fringe Festival
The International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC is a biannual puppet theater fringe festival hosted by Teatro SEA and The Clemente in the Lower East Side of New York City. The festival had its first edition in 2018, at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, and featured puppet shows, short films and artist talks with international puppet theater companies. The Puppet Fringe Festival is the first ever international fringe festival dedicated to puppetry.
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