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Puppetry Arts

Inspiring creativity, engineering, sustainability and mindfulness through the art of puppetry!

February

Open:

10:00 am – 5:00 pm

As of September 1 we will be closed on Wednesdays

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Upcoming Shows

*All puppet programs, shows and events are included with the price of museum admission.

Shows Down the Line

Illustration of Boozoo performing a puppet show

Of Cold and Kindness

December 13 – 14

Even the darkest of times can inspire warmth and compassion. This cabaret style, multimedia puppet show features five wintery short stories, both classic and contemporary!

Volunteer Opportunities

A collection of children enjoying everything the museum has to offer

At Stepping Stones Out of the Box Puppetry, 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 the 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.

Exploration of Puppetry Styles

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 the Box Puppetry is responsible for the creation of unique deliverables each week for Puppet Place floor programs, pop-up experiences and main stage productions.

Puppet Design and Craftsmanship

Through sculpting, sewing and patterning, participants develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness and creative expression while learning the full construction process of puppets.

Teamwork and Production Skills

Participants strengthen collaboration, time management and organizational abilities by working with a production team and supporting the preparation and performance of puppet shows.

Become A Volunteer

Puppet Photo Wall

Meet Out of the Box Puppetry

TJ Jacobs

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.

Kaz

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.

Riley

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!”

Ava

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.