NYS Puppet Festival 2024!
The moment you’ve been waiting for…
New York State Puppet Festival is officially back THIS MONTH, from June 20 to June 30, 2024!! NYSPF is a 10-day international festival of contemporary and traditional puppetry based in rural Perry, NY! We started in 2018, went remote in 2020, came back better than ever in-person again in 2022, and are back at it again in 2024 with support from the National Endowment for the Arts!
GET YOUR ALL-FESTIVAL PASS TODAY!
We have once again produced a fantastic season that is helping to build our reputation as one of the most notable puppet festivals in North America. Here’s the exciting line-up:
NYSPF Puppets on Film
curated by our own Pilar McKay, kick off the festival by enjoying a puppet film festival at The Little Theatre in Rochester, NY and final showing at Perry’s Theatre@37, June 17, 20 (@ The Little) and 30 (in Perry)
The Art and Artistry of Jeghetto
NYS Puppet Festival, in collaboration with the Arts Council of Wyoming County, is pleased to showcase this exhibition of puppet artist Jeghetto’s creations. This brilliant optimistic artist’s work will be displayed in ACWC’s Perry Main Street gallery. There is a free opening reception on Thursday, June 20, starting at 6:30 PM. For more information on the optimistic, brilliant, Jeghetto, see here. He will also be performing at NYSPF June 27-29.
Mine
by Shayna Strype
A comedic & heartfelt investigation of accumulation, collapse and what comes after, told w/puppets, human sculpture & live-feed video!
June 21-23, Theatre@spitzig77gmail-com
The Great Zodiac Animal Race
by Tom Lee
Growing up in Hawai’i, Tom Lee’s memories of Lunar New Year included narcissus blooms, tasty dim sum dishes and bowing to your elders before running off to your room to open your lucky red envelope with money in it! This charming shadow puppet show retells the classic Lunar New Year zodiac tale with animals inspired by Asian languages and pictograms.
June 22-23, Theatre@3
Ernie’s Secret Life
by Concrete Temple Theatre
An episodic odyssey, fusing ever-changing puppetry and stagecraft with humor, music, and a raw understanding of our profound collective reality. Sparked by the isolation and turmoil of our time, Ernie’s Secret Life is a story of discovery for all. A man fearing something has happened to his son, builds a canoe and secretly sets off to find him. What he finds instead – is himself. Powered by a wondrous landscape-in-motion, the play is about escaping and then finding your way… a celebration of how we become who we want to be.
June 22-23, Perry Central High School Auditorium
*The 8pm performance on Sat 6/22 will be ASL-interpreted
NYSPF 2024 Puppet Slam!
An amuse bouche of puppetry! A variety of brand new, bite-sized works of puppet theatre!
June 26, Theatre@spitzig77gmail-com
The Autobipuppetry of Jeghetto
by Tarish Pipkins AKA Jeghetto
Learn about the life of Jeghetto the puppeteer, as he shares stories about his childhood through projections and puppetry. This one-man show is not to be missed!
June 27-29, Theatre@spitzig77gmail-com
BILL’S 44TH
by Dorothy James and Andy Manjuck
“…buoyant, mesmerizing, joy-inducing. “
“This isn’t the birthday that Bill had hoped to have. But for the audience, his 44th is a gift.”
The New York Times
The streamers are hung, the punch has been spiked, and the cake is just begging to be eaten! Now all Bill has to do is wait for his guests to arrive. Desperate to fill his apartment with camaraderie and celebration, his imagination runs wild. Bill’s 44th explores loneliness and self-acceptance through different styles of puppetry, raucous balloons and a cheeky piece of crudité.
June 28-30, Perry Central High School Auditorium
Late Night Puppet Talk Show with Special Guest
by Dorothy James, Andy Manjuck, and Friends
A 100% improvised 100% live puppet talk show. It’s gonna get weird.
June 29, Theatre@37
Support for the New York State Puppet Festival and Shake on the Lake is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
