The Ballard Institute And Museum Of Puppetry Presents 2018 Spring Puppet Performance Series

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will host its Spring Puppet Performance Series on four Saturdays from Feb. to May 2018, featuring outstanding works for puppet theater by professional puppeteers from across the Northeast and beyond. Each show will be performed twice, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. All performances will take place at the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center. Productions and dates include:

Feb. 24: Plastic by Puzzle Theatre - What is more surprising than a plastic-bag world, where funny and colorful creatures are born and transform themselves as much as they like? In this special international performance, Montreal-based Puzzle Theatre offers an original, multicolored performance with unusual puppets created on the spot with plastic bags, filled humor and unexpected situations. Recommended for ages 5+.

March 24: I Spy Butterfly by Faye Dupras - How does a nature-loving explorer kid become a bug's best friend? Find out in this delightful eco-story by UConn Puppet Arts alumna Faye Dupras about the ways we all grow and change. When Trudy's caterpillar friend Harold suddenly transforms into a chrysalis, she's determined to do the same. Live music, colorful critters, and oodles of audience interaction make this show a fun ecological romp in the wild! Recommended for ages 3+ (but all ages are welcome to attend!).

April 14: The Pied Piper of Hamelin by CactusHead Puppets - The town of Hamelin has a rat problem, and there's only one person who can help! CactusHead Puppets, comprised of UConn Puppet Arts alumni Megan and John Regan, brings the story of The Pied Piper to life in this comedic, updated adaptation of the traditional folktale told with multiple puppetry styles and plenty of dancing rats! Recommended for ages 4+ (but all ages are welcome to attend!).

May 12: Rumplestiltskin by Stevens Puppets - Performed by famed marionette theater company Stevens Puppets, Rumplestiltskin is a fast-paced, action-filled, rhyming rendition of the classic tale, following the Miller as he weaves a web of lies to convince the King that his daughter can spin straw into gold! Enter the outrageously outspoken and never-happy villain, Rumplestiltskin, whose preposterous demands create even more mayhem in the land of Stiltskin. Recommended for all ages.

Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Members/Seniors: $10; Students: $8; Kids: $6 (12 years and under).

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, by calling 860-486-8580, or online at bimp.ticketleap.com. A surcharge will be added to any purchases made online. Tickets may also be purchased at the Ballard Institute on the day of performance starting at 10 a.m. There will be open seating and no reservations. Visitors can park in the Storrs Center Garage located at 33 Royce Circle. Parking in the Storrs Center Garage is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. For more information about these performances, visit bimp.uconn.edu or call 860-486-8580.

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