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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