Wakka Wakka’s “Dead As A Dodo” Resurrects Hope And Wonder

March 8, 2026April 8, 2026 Charlotte SnowLeave a comment

ArtsEmerson’s‘Dead As a Dodo’. Photo credits: David Zadig

‘Dead As A Dodo’ − Written, directed, and set design by Gwendolyn Warnock and Kirjan Waage. Original Music and Sound Design by Thor Gunnar Thorvaldsson. Puppet Design and Construction by Kirjan Waage. Touring Lighting Design by Scott Monnin. Presented by ArtsEmerson, from March 5th to March 8th at Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116.

By Charlotte Snow

Puppetry has been a staple of theatricality for centuries, but it often gets a bad rap as being trite and hokey. But in recent years, many theatre companies have been pushing back against this narrative, creating innovative and thought-provoking puppet plays for kids and adults alike. Gloriously, the Wakka Wakka theatre company practically demands that Dead As A Dodo joins, if not leads, the fold of exceptional puppet shows. 

‘Library Lion’ Is As Much a Delight for Grownups as It Is For Kids

January 20, 2026April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Cast of Adam Theater’s ‘Library Lion’ at BCA Calderwood Pavilion January 10-25
Photos by Nile Scott Studios

‘Library Lion’ — Adapted from the book “Library Lion” by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Directed by Ran Bechor. Book and Lyrics by Eli Bejaoui; Music by Yoni Rechter and Roy Friedman; Songs composed by Yoni Rechter; Puppet Design & Build by Jim Henson Creature Shop. Scenic Design by Cameron Anderson; Costume Design by Ula Shebchuv; Lighting Design by Daniel H. Jentzen; Sound Design by Irene Wang. Presented by Adam Theater at The Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St., Boston through Jan. 25.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Last Sunday, I was probably the only adult at the noon performance of Library Lion unaccompanied by kids and/or grandkids. For 70 uninterrupted minutes, I was treated to an uplifting, high-quality production of one of the most delightful musical shows I’ve seen in a while. Plus, I had the dual luxuries of watching a room full of youngsters and eavesdropping on their comments without having to be “in charge” of any of them.

Adam Theater’s “Library Lion” Roars Triumphantly

January 18, 2026April 8, 2026 Charlotte Snow2 Comments

‘Library Lion’ – Based on the book by Michelle Knudsen. Book and Lyrics by Eli Bejaoui. Music by Yoni Rechter and Roy Friedman. Song Composition by Yoni Rechter. Directed by Ran Bechor. Stage Management from Kendyl Trott. Puppet Design and Build by Jim Henson Creature Shop. Puppet and Movement Direction by Kate Brehm. Scenic Design by Cameron Anderson. Lighting Design by Daniel H. Jentzen. Adam Theater’s ‘Library Lion’ runs from January 10th to January 25th at the Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116.

By Charlotte Snow

If you ask any working theatre professional, “When did you first fall in love with theatre?” Many will answer “as a child,” having either seen or been in a Theatre for Young Audiences play. TYA may, in fact, be the invisible backbone responsible for (and continues to) uplift theater culture. At its worst, theatre for young audiences panders to kids and is insufferable to adults. At its best, it strengthens the bond between kids and adults while delivering a positive message along with a spoonful of whimsy. I’m happy to report that Adam Theater’s Library Lion falls into the latter category.

Manual Cinema Continues to Enchant with ‘The 4th Witch’ at ArtsEmerson

November 3, 2025April 8, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Manual Cinema’s ‘The 4th Witch” at ArtsEmerson. Photos: Katie Doyle

The 4^th Witch − Concept and direction by Drew Dir; Devised by Dir, Sarah Forance and Julia Miller; Original score and sound design by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter; Mask Design by Julia Miller; Lighting Design by David Goodman‑Edberg; Costume / Wig Design by Sully Ratke. Presented by Manual Cinema at the Robert J. Orchard Stage, Emerson Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Boston, through November 9.

By Mike Hoban

Manual Cinema has once again returned to the ArtsEmerson stages with their unfathomably unique brand of theatrical storytelling with The 4th Witch, a mind-bending work “inspired by” Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Told via shadow puppetry using live actors blended with silhouette cutouts beamed onto a movie screen by overhead projectors, the action is augmented by a haunting score played by a live ensemble with vocals. As the action is being projected onto the screen, the audience can simultaneously watch the actors and technicians dart around the stage to produce the images, while the three-piece ensemble (cello, violin, and keyboards), placed at the front of the stage, plays and sings.

Manual Cinema Brings Playful Puppetry to Wheelock Family Theatre with ‘Leonardo!’

October 12, 2025April 8, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Leonardo!’ at Wheelock Family Theatre

Leonardo! A Wonderful Show about a Terrible Monster, based on the books by Mo Willems; directed and adapted by Sarah Fornace and Drew Dir; 2D paper puppet and prop design by Drew Dir; music, lyrics, and sound design by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter; hand and rod puppet design by Lizi Breit; costume and wig design by Mieka Van der Ploeg; lighting design by Trey Brazeal with Nick Chamernik; dramaturgy by Megan Alrutz; stage managed by Maydi Díaz; created by Manual Cinema; presented by Wheelock Family Theatre in Boston, MA through October 19, 2025.

by Julie-Anne Whitney

Manual Cinema is a Chicago-based performance collective that specializes in cinematic shadow puppetry. For Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster, presented by Wheelock Family Theatre, the troupe transforms two books by beloved children’s author Mo Willems into a unique live-action cinematic experience.

‘Life & Times of Michael K’ is ArtsEmerson’s Latest Must-See Marvel

February 3, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

‘Life & Times of Michael K’ at ArtsEmerson. Photos by Fiona McPherson

‘Life & Times of Michael K’ — Adapted and Directed by Lara Foot in collaboration with Handspring Puppet Company. Based on the book written by J.M Coetzee. Adaptors and Puppetry Direction by Basil J.R. Jones and Adrian P. Kohler. Puppetry Design by Adrian P. Kohler. A Baxter Theatre Centre and Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus Production. Presented by ArtsEmerson at the Emerson Paramount Center, Robert J. Orchard Stage, 559 Washington St., through February 9.

By Shelley A. Sackett

In substance, Life and Times of Michael K tells the extraordinary story of an ordinary man. Adapted from the 1983 Booker Prize winner, written by South African novelist J. M. Coetzee, it details the life of the eponymous Michael K and his ailing mother during a fictional civil war in South Africa.

A Magical Theatrical Experience with Arlekin’s ‘The Fisherman and the Fish’

March 3, 2020April 8, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

*‘The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish’* – *Presented by Arlekin Players Theatre*

By Julie-Anne Whitney

‘The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish’ – Written by Alexander Pushkin; Directed by Evgeny Ibragimov; Set, Costume, and Puppet Design by Ksenya Litvak; Masks designed by Katya Popova; Original Music by Nikolay Yakimov; Lighting Design by Stephen Petrilli; Stage managed by Inessa Ostrova. Presented by Arlekin Players Theatre in Needham, MA through April 12, 2020.

Please note: this is a non-verbal 60-minute performance suitable for ages 4 and up.

The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish is a fable published in 1833 by acclaimed Russian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer, Aleksandr Pushkin. The story has been translated into several languages and adapted into many other art forms (paintings, poems, short stories, ballets, songs, animated films, and plays), perhaps most famously by the Brothers Grimm in their German fairy tale version, The Fisherman and His Wife (1905).

Imaginary Beasts Offers Fanciful Family Fun with Hansel & Gretel Panto

February 12, 2020April 8, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

By Julie-Anne Whitney

Hansel & Gretel (Winter 2020 Panto) – Written and directed by Matthew Woods; costume design by Cotton Talbot-Minkin; set design by Lillian P.H. Kology; lighting design by Michaela Carmela Bocchino; puppet design by Elizabeth Owens and Jill Rogati; stage and production management by Sophia Giordano. Produced by Imaginary Beasts at the Charlestown Working Theater through March 1, 2020.

The British Panto has been a popular holiday tradition in the U.K. since the early 1700s. For those who don’t know, a panto is a rowdy, interactive Vaudevillian style of musical theater which starts with a simple children’s story (such as Cinderella, Snow White, or Jack and the Beanstalk, etc.) and is then transformed into an over-the-top slapstick comedy piece with contemporary references, a bit of improvisation, an educational element, and enough creative humor to please both the children and the grownups.