From Barcelona to Brackett Street: Puppets in Portland International Festival Returns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 8/7/24
Mayo Street Arts
Amy Krawczyk, Puppet Festival Coordinator
amy@mayostreetarts.org
Office: (207) 879-4629
Cell: (207) 450-2832
From Barcelona to Brackett Street: Puppets in Portland International Festival Returns
International Puppetry Festival Brings Artists from Around the World to Portland
Portland, Maine — Puppets in Portland (PiP), a biennial international city-wide festival of puppetry arts, returns September 13-22, 2024. Presented by Mayo Street Arts, PiP 2024 expands from the 2022 inaugural festival to include two weekends of free and ticketed events at various locations throughout Portland.
“Folks from Maine — and as far away as California! — came out to enjoy the artists we brought to Portland in 2022. We’re excited to build on that energy and continue to expand our community’s idea of what puppetry can be,” Mayo Street Arts Executive Director Ian Bannon said.
Muppets or marionettes dominate thoughts when people hear “puppets.” PiP 2024 seeks to expand this perspective, featuring style-defying executions of the puppetry’s diverse subgenres, including mask work, paper arts, and shadow. The performances encompass a compelling gamut of topics ranging from personal histories to uncharted planet sci-fi survival. In addition to world-class shows, visiting artists will offer hands-on workshops for both adults and children.
Mayo Street Arts will also collaborate with community partners to offer targeted experiences for Portland’s college students and older adults. One such collaboration will facilitate intergenerational exchanges between residents of The Cedars retirement community and members of Mayo Street Arts’ puppetry community. Deborah Hunt of Maskhunt Motions (San Juan, Puerto Rico) will offer a three-day object theater workshop at The Cedars, while Catalan puppeteer Xavier Bobés (Barcelona, Spain) offers a similar public masterclass workshop. Participants will contribute small objects to serve as story catalysts. At the culmination, both groups will convene to engage in the shared themes present in their personal narratives.
“We are thrilled to have residents at The Cedars participate in this workshop because it offers a unique opportunity for creative expression and social engagement,” The Cedars Executive Director Angie Hunt said. “This cultural exchange enriches the lives of our residents by enhancing their cognitive and emotional well-being, and also provides the artists with invaluable insights and inspiration.”
In addition to ticketed events and targeted community events, PiP 2024 will also offer free opportunities for the general public to engage. Local favorite Shoestring Theater will once again emerge from their base in Portland’s West End to lead PiP PiP Parade! through East Bayside, and Modern Times Theater (East Hardwick, VT) will perform Punch and Judy shows in Congress Square Park.
“It’s an honor to host part of the Puppets in Portland festival in our little park this year,” Friends of Congress Square Executive Director CJ Opperthauser said. “Puppetry has a long history of being performed in public spaces, and there’s perhaps no better fit than a Punch and Judy show. I invite park-goers to welcome Modern Times Theater to Congress Square and help convince the mischievous Punch not to get too raucous while he’s in town.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit puppetsinportland.org.
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HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS
Alex & Olmsted’s MAROONED! A Space Comedy (Photo courtesy of Artist)
Maskhunt Motions’ Road of Useless Splendor (Photo courtesy of Artist)
Night Shade’s Order of Wolf (Photo courtesy of Artist)
PARTNER INFORMATION
Puppets in Portland is presented by Mayo Street Arts in collaboration with Puppets in the Green Mountains—the longest continuously running international puppetry festival in the US—produced by Sandglass Theater in Putney, VT.
Puppets in Portland is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.