PUTNEY — Sandglass Theater's 10th edition of their international festival of puppet theater, Puppets in the Green Mountains, takes place in Brattleboro and Putney on Sept. 19-23. It includes performances, workshops, film, lectures, community discussions, and more.
The festival will open with a fundraising gala at the Brattleboro Museum & Arts Center on Sept. 20, at 5:30 p.m. This is an opportunity to meet the guest artists from Taiwan, the UK, and Canada, as well as performers and other guest from around the U.S.
The gala includes snacks and drinks, live music, and an exclusive pop-up performance. The ticket includes admittance to Sandglass Theater's “Babylon: Journeys of Refugees,” newly revised and a recent recipient of a NEFA National Theater Project Award.
The Keynote Address will be given on Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at New England Youth Theatre by Tracy Broyles, former Executive Artistic Director of Spiral Q Puppet Theatre in Philadelphia; admission is free to this event.
Other shows include:
• Sinking Ship's “The Hunger Artist” (USA). This visually-striking adaptation of the Franz Kafka short story uses physical theater, Victorian miniatures, puppetry, and a set of simple props to support a powerhouse solo performance.
• U.S.-based family performer Joshua Holden presents the second edition of his touching, hilarious, and wildly successful performance for children, “The Joshua Show” (USA), where a surly nay-saying hand puppet named Mr. Nicholas plans his escape to outer space. With singing, tap dancing, and a cast of zany puppets, Joshua sets out to convince Mr. Nicholas of all the reasons there are to stay here on Mother Earth.
• From Taiwan, The Puppet and Its Double will bring “Mr. Ruraru's Yard,” a piece for young audiences about an old man who learns lessons about community and sharing as he tries in vain to keep order and control in his yard. This highly visual show is performed entirely without spoken words, using both puppets and natural materials that evoke a living relationship with nature.
Ticket prices vary. All venues in the Puppets in the Green Mountains festival are wheelchair-accessible. Assistance can be provided for priority seating and parking.
Two shows will be offered with ASL interpretation: “Meet Fred” on Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m., and “The Joshua Show” on Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. Sandglass welcomes people of all abilities and strives to provide programming that is inclusive and accessible to all.
For tickets and the full festival schedule, visit puppetsinthegreenmountains.com.