“Jokes with Josue” + “The Tales of Turtleboy” by Emmanuel Elpenord at Puppet Showplace Theater

Join Haitian-American actor, puppeteer, and voice-over artist Emmanel Elpenord for an interactive performance featuring folklore, jokes, and adventure — and, you might even learn a few words of Creole!

In the first story, Uncle Josue pays us a visit from Haiti, bringing tricky riddles and silly stories to share — inspired by Haitian folklore. The second act of this double feature is The Tales of Turtle Boy, a choose-your-own-adventure where the bashful, yet rambunctious, Turtle Boy marionette leads us through an action movie of the audience’s making — think Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meets John Wick (kid-friendly edition)!

Emmanuel Elpenord is an alumnus of Puppet Showplace’s Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers, where he built his Turtle Boy marionette and workshopped ideas for this performance. Now, he returns to Puppet Showplace with an Incubator premiere of this all-ages show!

After the Show: Meet the Puppets & More!

Stay after the show to meet the artist and see the puppets up close — the artist speaks English and Creole!

Then, take part in a craft inspired by the show and enjoy a dress-up station and coloring sheets! These activities are available after every performance, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm.

Plus — join us on Sunday, November 16 for a short Haitian folkloric dance performance by KS Studio, presented in partnership with Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center, taking place in between our morning and afternoon performances! All ages welcome, especially enjoyed by ages 5 - 10 Marionettes Length: 40 minutes Language: English & Creole From New York City!

The creation and presentation of this show was supported by the Coney Island History Project, Jim Henson Foundation, Haiti Cultural Exchange, Puppet Showplace Theater, and the Town of Brookline's Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Relations.