Shaun Michael McNamara to Bring All Puppet Players to Peoria, Phoenix and Mesa, Fall 2013

The word "Puppet" usually brings to mind an image of children's gleeful faces chortling to the antics of colorful, cute fuzzy creatures extolling the virtues of any given letter of the alphabet. Well, these aren't THOSE puppets! Arizona native Shaun Michael McNamara has returned with his All Puppet Players--bringing with him his edgy, irreverent, and wildly entertaining cast of characters, geared toward the more mature theatre-goer. Felt will fly as McNamara and his in-your-face furries team up with Theater Works in Peoria, Nearly Naked Theatre in Phoenix, and Mesa Encore Theatre in Mesa.

Arriving in the Valley of the Sun after their triumphant performances and rave reviews to sell-out crowds in California, McNamara's molting, motley crew will "hit the ground running" (so to speak) from October 10th through the 25th, with the World Premiere of The Exorcist Has No Legs at Theater Works. The show is a campy (oh, what a surprise!), comedic, puppet-infused depiction of AFI's #3 most thrilling movie, like, EVER! And what better way to pay homage to the 40th Anniversary of this epic horror tale, than with a gaggle of google-eyed puppets that rotate their heads while spewing pea soup?

The "crazy" continues as audiences are invited to get "felt" up this November as the puppets lend a "hand" and take their naughtiness to a whole new level of lewd to Nearly Naked Theatre as they present their production of 50 Shades of Felt. Based on the bestselling novel, this show is so raunchy that it would make Avenue Q blush!

Rounding out this tantalizing trilogy is the hairy and hilarious presentation of Top Gun: Live, Abridged, and Completely Underfunded as puppets take that "highway to the danger zone" soaring several "feet" off the ground...sure to thrill theatre-goers of all tastes (tasting is NOT recommended, however). "Maverick", "Goose", and the rest of your favorite fly boys will crash land at Mesa Encore Theatre in January 2014, as once again, McNamara will demonstrate just what puppets and no budget are capable of with this "mostly" family-friendly romp through the skies.

Owner/Artistic Director Shaun Michael McNamara learned puppetry as a child in Arizona,while enrolled in an After School Program taught by an area music teacher. Seventeen years later, he opened his first critically-acclaimed show, Hamlet Has No Legs, to a sold out run. McNamara invited his Puppet Instructor to come to California to see the opening performance and paid tribute to this Arizona educator by chronicling their reunion in a film highlighting how amazing teachers can impact and inspire their students to success (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ay4FHUd3cQ).

All Puppet Players are a nomadic theatre troupe whose sole purpose is to create quirky and innovative stage shows using puppetry to demolish the "typical" theatre experience and add a bit of anarchy to every stage on which they perform. The company has garnered numerous awards and recognitions for their productions and live events. For more information, visit www.allpuppetplayers.com or their fan page at www.facebook.com/allpuppetplayers.

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