Artistic Director Roxanna Myhrum is off on a new adventure! Catch her at virtual performances this May and June, and read her letter below sharing memories from her time at the theater, 2010-2021.

Dear Puppet Showplace Friends and Fans,

After 11+ wonderful years as Puppet Showplace Theater’s Artistic Director, the time has come for me to pass the top hat to someone new. My last official day at the theater will be June 30, 2021. After that, I hope to remain a friend, fan, and supporter for many years to come.

I’m immensely proud of all that we’ve done together, of the connections we’ve made and the artistic expression we’ve enabled.

While every creative encounter made an impact on me, I wanted to share with you some of the projects and initiatives that have been most challenging, memorable, and definitive of my time at Puppet Showplace.

Incubating New Works by Local Artists

When I started at Puppet Showplace, I realized that the theater had an impending “supply chain” problem. Several extraordinary puppeteers were nearing retirement, but years of underinvestment in public arts funding, stagnant municipal budgets, and shrinking opportunities for in-school performances meant fewer artists were entering the field. While Puppet Showplace historically had only worked with performers who had completed full-length shows, I saw an acute need for us to support and invest in new works by local and emerging artists.

 In 2012, we retooled the theater’s “Incubator” meet-up group to focus on supporting local puppeteers through the multi-step process of launching full-length touring productions. In 2013, we debuted 2 new works, Squirrel Stole My Underpants by Bonnie Duncan of The Gottabees and Tall Tales by Brad Shur and Chris Monti.

That first year was a nail-biting experience. There’s a saying in the puppetry world, “You can do whatever you want, as long as you call it Cinderella.” Would our audiences show up for these fantastic but unfamiliar original shows? 

The answer was a resounding “YES!” These shows were a hit, and both went on to reach thousands of people on tour across the region (or, in the case of Squirrel, across multiple continents). To date, the Incubator Program has launched 15 new works by 7 different Massachusetts-based companies. I’m glad this program has helped revitalize new work in New England’s touring puppetry ecosystem, and I’m grateful to all the brave puppeteers who worked so hard to imagine new stories and bring them to life. 

International Collaborations

Puppetry is a global art form. As New England’s puppetry center, we typically focus on showcasing work by artists from our region. At the same time, we participate in cultural ambassadorship by welcoming guest artists from around the world.

 As a relatively small organization, undertaking international presentations is incredibly daunting, made more difficult each year as visa requirements and travel expenses become more onerous. Luckily, we have had many partners, including fellow cultural organizations and diplomats, who have helped make these presentations possible.

My first international presentation was in 2013, when Les Sages Fous (Québec) graced our stage with the magnificent Orphan Circus. Since then, we’ve presented five additional companies from Québec (Le Théâtre de Deux Mains, Des mots d'la dynamite, Puzzle Theater, Lost & Found Puppet Co., and most recently Théâtre des Petites Âmes, who performed Ogo in 2019). In 2018, we also hosted a month-long cross-cultural artist residency with Montreal’s Casteliers Festival, sending Boston-based artist Veronica Barron to Montreal while welcoming Montreal’s Caroline Bernier-Dionne to our theater.

In 2014, we partnered with Great Small Works to present a group of international toy theater artists on tour, including Facto Teatro from Mexico and Barbara Steinitz from Germany. In 2016 and 2017, The Brothers Čampur from Indonesia shared their contemporary Wayang Kulit work and led incredible puppet making workshops. Israel’s Yael Rasooly also visited in 2017 with her internationally acclaimed show Paper Cut. In 2018, we welcomed Commedia dell’arte troupe Teatro Giuliare from Italy, followed by the pioneering Hijinx Theatre from Wales.

The Hijinx collaboration, supported by a NEFA Expeditions grant, was one of the biggest projects I had ever undertaken, with a neurodiverse cast of 8 artists on tour, multiple presenting and community partners, and performance locations across New England. After over a year of planning, it was a joy when the company finally arrived, and extremely gratifying to hear how much their show Meet Fred impacted Boston audiences. 

In 2019, we hosted Taiwan’s I Wan Jan Puppet Troupe, who astonished us with their Bu Dai Xi hand puppetry skill. This presentation was made possible thanks to the organizing and translating work of puppeteer Margaret Moody, who had studied in Taiwan decades earlier with the company.

I hope that international collaborations continue, perhaps with new and exciting virtual formats, as they did this year for World Puppetry Day, when puppeteers from Mexico, Canada, and Japan all performed live in our virtual puppet slam. Thank you to everyone who helped make these collaborations possible…grazie, merci, gracias, danke, תודה, and 谢谢 !

Building Fantastical Worlds with Resident Artists (and Friends!)

One of the highlights of my job has been working in support of our resident artists. When I started at Puppet Showplace in 2010, puppeteer Brad Shur had just begun what would become an 8-year tenure. While we mostly focused on developing his solo touring shows and workshops over those years, we often found ourselves scheming about bigger creative projects that could tap into Brad’s talents as builder/designer and my experiences as a theatrical stage director. We also wanted to create employment opportunities for local puppeteers who were highly skilled but who weren’t necessarily interested in creating puppet shows on their own.  

Brad and I each had a thing for Halloween, and for highly interactive puppetry experiences. In 2011, we created “Spooky Story Station,” a fantastical walk-through experience at the theater designed to enchant young Trick-or-Treaters. About 30 performers, designers, and alumni from our adult classes took part. Even with a shoestring budget, the piece was a unique delight for all who attended. That said, given the enormous amount of work involved, we vowed not to undertake another Halloween project until we had a proper sponsor. 

In 2016, the Franklin Park Zoo asked us to turn an unused corner of the grounds into a fantastical Halloween attraction with an ecological twist. That October, The Midnight Zoo was born. This project ran for 5 weeks outdoors and was seen by over 4,000 attendees. It featured the work of 14 builder/designers, 20 original creatures, and had 28 nightly performers and crew. It was an incredibly rewarding challenge, not only for the creative camaraderie that it fostered, but also for the lasting impact it made on audiences. One family even sent us a picture of a Blood Beast ornament their child made for their Christmas tree.

In 2017, Sarah Nolen became Puppet Showplace’s Resident Artist, bringing to Boston her enormous talents as a puppeteer and filmmaker. In 2019, we undertook our own fantastical collaboration. Metropolitan Chorale, a 100-voice choir, wanted to stage Menotti’s madrigal fable The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore using puppetry to bring the story to life. One of my most thrilling nights as a director was sitting with Sarah for hours and dissecting the vocal score, listening to recordings, and asking in each moment, “What do you think is happening here?” Together, we dreamed up answers with larger-than-life characters, which Sarah then designed and built. I worked with a fantastic cast of puppeteers to bring the show to life.  Somehow, everything came together for a single sold-out performance for an audience of 400 that ended with a resounding standing ovation (read coverage of our dress rehearsal on the Wonderland Blog).

Expanding Education

Puppetry can sometimes seem intimidating or unfamiliar when you’re just starting out. Early on in my tenure, it became clear to me that Puppet Showplace needed to create more opportunities for people of all ages to enter and explore the field, learning skills along the way that empowered them to express themselves through puppetry. Over the past decade, I’ve worked hard to expand our education programs for learners of all ages. This has been possible thanks both to innovative instruction by professional puppeteers, and to schools, community groups, and other partners who have co-created programs with us.

In 2017, Honey Goodenough joined our team as the theater’s first Resident Teaching Artist. She taught in and expanded on our many summer collaborations, and in 2018 helped us pioneer Summer Puppet Academy in partnership with BU’s Wheelock Family Theatre. This summer, she’ll be leading our safe-distanced on-site vacation programs, and I’m thrilled that after such a difficult year, kids will have the opportunity to learn and create with her all summer long.    

I’m also really proud of our adult education program, which has attracted inspiring, ambitious students of all backgrounds and abilities who have gone on to create and share their own fantastic short-form work. Resident Artists Brad and Sarah both put countless hours into creating and preparing adult classes, as did other amazing puppeteers like Jon Little, Faye Dupras, Brenda Huggins, Bonnie Duncan, Harry LaCoste, Sarah Frechette, Ronald Binion, and many others. 

While at Puppet Showplace I have also had the privilege of teaching students from Pre-K to adult, primarily through college residencies and community-based workshops. In October 2019, I offered my first adult evening class, “Introduction to Puppetry Performance.” The participants were bursting with talent, creativity, and curiosity, and I loved the scenes that they co-created.

I hope that the theater’s education programs will continue to thrive and expand to include more sequential / advanced instruction, more diverse teaching artists and puppetry styles, and more opportunities to experiment with original new work.   

Supporting New Work by Black Puppeteers

Puppet Showplace serves an incredibly diverse audience, but that diversity has not always been reflected on our stage. To address this, our Board and staff have made deep commitments to supporting artists of color, and to making puppetry more widely accessible to our community. 

In 2019 we launched My Night in the Planetarium, a two-year undertaking led by Tanya Nixon-Silberg of Little Uprisings. Sarah Nolen and I collaborated with Tanya and with author/activist Innosanto Nagara to bring his powerful illustrated memoir to life.

Working with Tanya was an unforgettable experience. In addition to her deep insights about unjust systems that perpetuate racism and other forms of inequality, she understands how to tap into children’s innate sense of fairness, as well the connections between puppetry, play, joy, and collective liberation. 

After many conversations with artists and fellow administrators about structural barriers to entry in our field, in 2020 we launched the Black Puppeteer Empowerment Initiative, a national artist residency and grant program to support early-stage creative research by Black puppeteers.

It was both healing and inspiring to come together and create during the pandemic. As one participant wrote of the experience, “With all of the turmoil happening in the world at the time...the virtual connection and feedback felt like social medicine, and validation that as puppeteers we were still alive, relevant, and thriving.”

I am glad that our organization is deeply committed to this ongoing work, which I know will strengthen our entire puppetry community moving forward.

So Many “Thank Yous!”

There are so many more memories that I will treasure, from the hundreds of shows and puppet slam acts I’ve witnessed, to the whimsical galas and festivals we’ve planned, to the thousands of heartfelt interactions I’ve had with audience members of all ages. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who made these adventures possible, including the visionary artists, the generous donors, and all the members of our dedicated staff and Board. I hope that everyone who has encountered Puppet Showplace’s work during this time feels the same spark of joy and inspiration that I get every time I walk through the theater’s doors. 

Looking ahead, I can’t wait to celebrate the theater’s 50th anniversary in 2024, and to see what excitement the next generation of artists and audience members have in store. 

Here’s to 11 years of puppeteers! 
Sincerely,
Roxanna “Roxie” Myhrum
Puppet Showplace Theater Artistic Director, 2010 to 2021

P.S. If you want to learn more about my time at the theater, check out these articles about our work! 

“The Puppet Whisperer,” Puppetry Journal, 2020

“Puppet Showplace Debuts Grant for Black Artists,” The Bay State Banner, 2020

“Creating a Feminist Punch and Judy Show,” HowlRound, 2019

“Meet Roxanna Myhrum” Boston Voyager Interview, 2018

“Life on a Tabletop: An Ancient Art Form Thrives at Puppet Showplace Theater,” Harvard Magazine, 2015

“Celebrating 40 Years of Puppetry,” Brookline Tab, 2015

“Chatting with Slam Curator Roxie Myhrum,” Puppet Slam Network, 2012