The Ballard Institute To Present HOMEBODIES

As part of its newly-created Evening Puppet Show Series for adult and teen audiences, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut is pleased to present Homebodies by the Maryland-based company Alex & Olmsted on Sept. 27, 2019 at 8 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

Alex & Olmsted (creators of the Jim Henson Foundation Grant-awarded Milo the Magnificent) present Homebodies, a new show that explores the concepts of house and home. Centered on a 30-cubic-inch puzzle box that has trick doors and amenities, Alex & Olmsted combine physical comedy and puppetry to unlock the house of the imagination. This show is 70 minutes with no intermission.

The Baltimore Independent Theater Review writes that "Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas are simply masters of their craft. Not only constructing this magical box (no small feat), but a night clerk hotel bellhop puppet that looks like he escaped from a Twilight Zone episode. Their attention to detail and improvisation is top-notch. I don't know if I've ever seen two actors work with and off each other in such complete unison. It is as if they are one person divided into two."

Alex & Olmsted (Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas) is an internationally-acclaimed puppet theater company. In recent years, they have performed at the Puppet Festival Chuncheon in South Korea, the Festival de Casteliers in Montréal, the Festival of Animated Objects in Calgary, and Symphony Space in New York City. In 2019, they will have their European premiere at the Festival of Wonder in Silkeborg, Denmark. Milo the Magnificent was awarded a 2017 Jim Henson Foundation Grant and a Greenbelt Community Foundation Grant. Alex & Olmsted are resident artists at the Baltimore Theatre Project. They are also proud company members of Happenstance Theater, with whom they have created 10 productions since 2012.

Ticket Prices: Adults: $12; Members/Seniors: $10; Students: $8.

Alex & Olmsted will also perform their show Milo the Magnificent on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ballard Institute as part of our 2019 Fall Puppet Show Series. For more information or to buy tickets for this show, visit bimp.ticketleap.com.

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 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 or if you require an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Ballard Institute staff at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu.

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