Amplify: The Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers Showcase at Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre at Boston University

Celebrate bold new voices in puppetry!

Discover innovative works at a one-night-only finale to the 5th edition of the Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers (CRBP) — at Boston University’s lovely Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre. The evening will feature “puppet slam”-style performances by the five artists of the 2025 cohort, plus performances by other artists from the CRBP community.

From re-examined histories to fantastical narratives, these works are full of surprises. Expect an eclectic mix of puppetry styles, including string marionettes, shadow puppetry, large-scale creations, and more. The artists are traveling from across the country to share their work in this culminating event — you won’t want to miss it!

Featuring performances by the 2025 cohort:

• William PK Carter (New York)

• ChelseaDee Harrison (Washington, DC)

• Fatima Seck (Boston)

• Brett Swinney (Chicago)

• Khaleshia Thorpe-Price (Maryland)

Plus:

• Charlotte Lily Gaspard of Midnight Radio Show, CRBP 2025 Project Mentor

• Tanya Nixon-Silberg of Little Uprisings, CRBP 2020 and 2025 Community Curator

• Ash Winkfield, CRBP 2023

• Roshina Ratnam, South African puppeteer, recently in Handspring Puppet Company’s Life and Times of Michael K, and Project Advisor at the 2025 O’Neill National Puppetry Conference

The Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers (CRBP) is a national initiative of Brookline’s Puppet Showplace Theater that supports the development of original works by Black artists. It amplifies diverse voices in puppetry arts and centers the creation of new narratives by supporting artists at the earliest stages of development. The residency provides fellows with mentorship, skill-building opportunities, community connection, and a $1000 grant. This program is about representation, storytelling, and creating space for voices that aren’t always heard.

Come experience the future of puppetry!