Puppetry Arts
Inspiring creativity, engineering, sustainability and mindfulness through the art of puppetry!
Inspiring creativity, engineering, sustainability and mindfulness through the art of puppetry!
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11:00 am and 2:00 pm
Based on the children’s book by author Debbie Nutley, this tenderhearted story offers a meaningful example for children learning to cope with anxiety. Follow Pengwee, a young penguin, as he prepares for an exciting day at the annual Ice Festival. When snowstorms fill his tummy at the thought of big, scary rides, his mother teaches him that his own breath can help calm his fears.
11:00 am and 2:00 pm
Meet the Cardboard Historical Society! As part of our Black History Celebration you can join Aretha Franklin, Jesse Owens, Rosa Parks and many more for a very special presentation by Out of a Box Puppetry. Discover stories of legendary Black American musicians, artists and activists.
11:00 am and 2:00 pm
Follow the Stepping Stones Storytellers – Bird, Lucy, Lillie and BooZoo – on an unforgettable journey far north to witness the breathtaking aurora borealis. Guided by a trusty compass and their shared wit, they climb treacherous mountains, brave freezing temperatures, work together through every challenge and even come face-to-face with the legendary abominable snowman.
*All puppet programs, shows and events are included with the price of museum admission.
At Out of a Box Puppetry here at Stepping Stones, we develop original productions, workshops, interactive experiences and exhibits – and we need your help! We’re seeking passionate volunteers from diverse backgrounds who love to design, experiment, build and bring stories to life through hands-on puppet-making and performance.
Out of a Box Puppetry is dedicated to the education and development of its staff and volunteers, in order to cultivate sustainable, ethical and mindful puppet artists who deliver exemplary service to museum visitors.
Participants gain hands-on experience with various puppetry forms (shadow, string, rod, hand), building confidence, adaptability and problem-solving skills for effective storytelling. Out of a Box Puppetry is responsible for the creation of unique deliverables each week for puppetry programs, pop-up experiences and main stage productions.
Through sculpting, sewing and patterning, participants develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness and creative expression while learning the full construction process of puppets.
Participants strengthen collaboration, time management and organizational abilities by working with a production team and supporting the preparation and performance of puppet shows.
Puppeteer
TJ Jacobs (he/him) is a professional puppeteer, director, teaching artist, and meditation instructor based in Connecticut. He studied Theatre, education, acting/directing, design/technology and musical theatre with honors at Rowan University.
He directs, designs and performs our puppet productions and Puppet Place programs. Along with managing the Out of the Box Puppetry team, TJ’s day-to-day includes coming up with new productions, workshops, exhibitions and interactive experiences.
Outside of Stepping Stones, TJ is the Vice President of Puppeteers of America, the newsletter editor for the Connecticut Puppetry Guild, and founder of Basically Good Puppet Theatre, which travels throughout the east coast, doing performances, making puppets, and offering meditation courses. TJ specializes in dharma art, mindfulness meditation [Certified by Dharma Moon + Tibet House], and cardboard butchery.
Fabricator
Kaz Grigg (he/him) builds puppets, sets and props for all the puppet shows at the museum. Kaz is most interested in the technical and engineering aspects of puppetry.
He likes to go down little rabbit holes and collect apparently random techniques to apply to our puppets in novel and interesting ways.
Performer
Riley Zappala (he/him/his) is a professional performer, puppeteer and is the mascot lead, bringing our Storytellers to life.
He grew up as a navy kid, traveling coast to coast with his family, gaining skills and knowledge to engineer in abstract, out of the box ways.
His favorite part of creating art is when people say “wow!”
Performer
Ava Sabloff (she/her) is a Museum Puppeteer at Stepping Stones Museum for Children. She works in both puppet making and puppet performance. Her favorite part of puppet making is painting; she loves adding little details that make her laugh. When performing, she likes meeting visitors in character after the show.
Outside of the museum, she is a student, studying the arts and psychology. She would like to be an art therapist someday.