History of The Puppet Showplace Theatre
 Founding the Puppet Showplace Theatre
PST was founded as a storefront theatre by visionary educator and
puppeteer Mary Putnam Churchill, who saw puppetry as a powerful
medium for teaching children lessons, broadening their horizons,
inspiring their creative imaginations, and introducing them to
the magic of theatre.
She began the theatre with the intent of performing primarily her
own puppet shows, but very quickly the theatre became a magnet
for the growing number of local puppeteers. Before long Mary
expanded the roster to include the best shows of these new friends.
As the reputation of the theatre grew, so did the audiences,
necessitating a move next door in 1980 to TWO storefronts; one
serving as the lobby/office area, and the other as a larger
theatre.
PST still occupies those same spaces in quaint Brookline Village
in a stately brick building that is listed in the National
Historic Register. The building was once the first "commuter
hotel" for traveling salesmen and outlying farmers bringing
their products to the thriving Boston market.
Since those early days PST and BAGOP (the Boston Area Guild of
Puppetry, the largest regional guild in Puppeteers of America)
have had a very fruitful symbiotic relationship.
The Guild meets at PST, maintains an extensive reference library
here, and works in concert with PST on a wide range of projects
and programming.
PST benefits greatly from its association with the guild by
gaining access to many of the regions finest puppeteers in
the country.
Together PST and BAGOP work toward helping performers improve
and promote their shows, and toward enlightening the general
public about this delightful and powerful form of theatre.
PST benefits from its location in the heart of the richest, most
fertile puppetry-producing region in the country. With the
acclaimed puppetry training program at the University of
Connecticut, The O'Neill Puppetry Conference in Waterford CT,
The Jim Henson Festival of International Puppetry in NY,
Sandglass Theatre's summer training institute in Putney, VT,
and several prominent biennial New England puppetry festivals,
we see and can choose from much of the best puppet theatre
produced today.
This relationship is also symbiotic as PST hires and presents
the work of the students and graduates of these programs, to
the delight and benefit of our audiences.
PST's visibility makes it the local authority on puppetry,
and the organization endeavors to meet all of the puppetry
needs (performance, educational, referential, and developmental)
of its community.
The PST executive staff is quite active in the national
puppetry scene. As a result, we continuously broaden and
refine our artist roster, keep abreast of developments in
the field, and build relationships with other important
figures in the puppetry world.
Our location by the Green Line MBTA stop at Brookline Village
makes the theatre easily available to Bostonians by public
transportation.
In addition to the theatre, facilities include the lobby and
retail puppet shop, video and print reference library,
workshop space and administrative offices, which are
accessible whenever the theatre is open.
PST Offers Shows for Every Age and Taste
Regular public shows are scheduled for preschool audiences
on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Public shows for family
audiences are presented every weekend during the school year,
and weekdays during school vacations.Special programs and
adult puppetry are scheduled throughout the year.
The theatre is available for private bookings and shows for
schools, community groups, summer camps, and other audiences.
A number of the artists on our touring roster also tour to
area schools, libraries and community centers for on-site
performances and workshops.
For our youngest theatre-goers (3-5 years) we present age
appropriate shows on weekday mornings, designed in short
segments and with audience participation, to match their
attention span.
A puppet show is often a child's introduction to theatre, so
we offer excellent shows in an atmosphere designed to make
that experience very positive and comfortable.
For school aged children and families, PST presents a more
classic theatre experience including a darkened theatre and
more complex storylines.
We present the best available examples of each style and type
of puppetry, and ensure that the content is compelling and
relevant to children, production values are high, and messages
presented are appropriate.
PST's Diverse Audience
Our audiences reflect the ethnic diversity of Massachusetts,
being a vibrant mix of individuals from every culture and
many varieties of religious heritage. Our performers also
come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, which inspire and
influence their art.
PST audiences regularly include special needs individuals and
groups, among them the physically disabled, the mentally
challenged, and the hearing-impaired. Ticket prices are kept
low to ensure affordable access to high quality theatre for
even young and low income families.
 The Future of PST
Unlike most puppet theatres across the nation that close their
doors soon after the death of their founder and (typically)
chief benefactor, the small but energetic and talented staff
of PST is continuing the visionary work of Mary Churchill who
died in 1997, and expanding her mission in a way that reflects
and pays heed to societal needs.
PST continues to present engaging, entertaining and insightful
puppet theatre to the public, accomplishing that task on many
levels.
During a typical season PST presents approximately 300 public
performances for families and schoolchildren, 25 performances
for adult audiences, 25-40 private performances, numerous
educational programs, serving both children and adults, and
several special events.
These activities take place over our 50 week season; during
the 2 week "dark" period we make improvements to the physical
and technical infrastructures of the theatre.
The staff of PST is passionate about this amazing art form
and, despite a discouraging and difficult fundraising climate
in Massachusetts, it is our fervent intent to continue our
important work for many years to come.
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