THE LITTLE PIRATE MERMAID Begins Performances at the Center For Puppetry Arts Tonight!

Flap your flippers, and prepare to make a splash! The Little Pirate Mermaid returns to the puppet stage with a swashbuckling twist, June 7- July 17. What's in store for the mermaid princess turned helpful pirate and her buccaneer beau? Take the plunge to see! This fantastical fish tale features a bountiful ocean of puppets, characters, original music, stunning stage effects and bubbly action! Based on Hans Christian Andersen's whale of a tale, The Little Pirate Mermaidis a part of the Center's 2016-2017 Family Series.

Led by skilled puppeteers Reay Kaplan, Lyndsay Ricketson, Amy Sweeney and Tim Sweeney, this pirate quest includes more than 40 handcrafted marionette, shadow and hand-and-rod puppets, created onsite by the Center's talented staff and master puppet builder Jason Hines. Marionettes and lighting effects are combined to create the illusion of underwater weightlessness for the mermaid princess and friends, while boisterous sounds and other puppetry styles are used to bring other scenes, like the naval battle and attack of the monstrous squid, to life before audience eyes. By combining a well-known fable with high seas adventure, the shipshape tale of The Little Pirate Mermaid is the perfect adventure for pirates of all ages.

As part of the Center's ASD initiative, a sensory-friendly performance of The Little Pirate Mermaid will be held on Sunday, July 10 at 1 p.m. This special afternoon will allow guests with autism sensory disorder to experience the show and Create-A-Puppet Workshop in a comfortable and safe setting with staff members who have been trained in interactions with patrons with ASD. Along with a quiet zone in the lobby, several performance alterations will be employed including theater lights dimmed down (but not out), consistent sound levels and lower volume of show soundtrack, freedom for children to talk during the show and leave their seats, if necessary, and permission to bring quiet, contained snacks and beverages. Create-A-Puppet Workshop classrooms will be brighter, quieter and feature less-messy puppet building materials and slightly simplified puppet designs.

Recommended for ages 4 and up, The Little Pirate Mermaid is presented in the Mainstage Theater, June 7- July 17 with discounted preview days, June 7-8 at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Regular show times are as follows:

• Tuesday - Friday*: 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
• Saturday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
• Sunday: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
  *There are no performances on Monday, July 4, as the Center is closed on Mondays.

Sensory-friendly show times are as follows:

• Sunday, July 10: 1 p.m.
  * Create-A-Puppet Workshop will be held after the show from 1:45- 2:30 p.m.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR $10.25 (MEMBERS) AND $20.50 (NONMEMBERS) AND CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE AT WWW.PUPPET.ORG OR BY CALLING THE TICKET SALES OFFICE AT
404-873-3391.

All-inclusive show tickets include the Worlds of Puppetry Museum admission, as well as entrance to the Create-A-Puppet Workshop, where kids can make their own Stingray Marionette Puppet.