It’s time to saddle up for a 10-gallon historical hoedown. The Center for Puppetry Arts is rounding up some of America’s most famous heroes and heroines to present a production packed with tall tales, twangy tunes (performed live) and glory stories of the American west.
Folklore fans will hear how the larger-than-life lumberjack Paul Bunyan and his devoted friend Babe the Blue Ox invent logging; how Hekeke saves her tribe from a terrible people-eating ogre; how John Henry single-handedly hammers his way through a mountain to become a true steel-driving man; and how Pecos Bill tames the wildest stallion in the land to become King of the Cowboys. It’s educational fun for the whole family. Dr. Bigelow will also be on hand to embellish these puppet-infused sagas with a little help from his tall tale tonic.
Adapted and directed by the Center’s Artistic Director Jon Ludwig, Paul Bunyan and the Tall Tale Medicine Show features rod, shadow and hand puppets along with live music. All of the puppets, props and scenery were designed and built onsite by the Center’s staff.
The Center for Puppetry Arts is continuing its dedication to programming for patrons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on Sunday, February 3 with sensory-friendly modifications to the 1 p.m. performance as well as in the Museum from noon-1 p.m. and in the Create-A-Puppet Workshops™ from 1:45-2:30 p.m. The Center will also provide a quiet room, social stories, noise-reducing headphones and fidget toys for guests wishing to use those resources. For details, visit puppet.org/asd.
On Sunday, February 24, Girl Scouts are invited to participate in a series of activities to earn all four STEM patches in one day. Scouts will explore the science connections in the show, technology behind puppet performances, engineering used to design some of the puppets in the Worlds of PuppetryMuseum exhibits and the math utilized to build a puppet in a customized Create-A-Puppet Workshop™. Activities will take place from noon-3:30 p.m.
Recommended for ages four and up, Paul Bunyan and the Tall Tale Medicine Show will be presented in the Mainstage Theater, January 22 – March 10. Reduced-price previews take place Tuesday, January 22 and Wednesday, January 23 at 10 a.m. and noon. The regular show schedule is as follows:
Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
All-inclusive ticket prices vary but start at $9.75 (Members) and $19.50 (nonmembers) and include entrance to the Create-A Puppet Workshop™, where guests can make, decorate and perform with their own Babe the Blue Ox Hand Puppet, as well as admission to the Worlds of Puppetry Museum, featuring the largest collection of Jim Henson puppets in the world as well as a global gallery. Tickets can be purchased online at puppet.org or by calling 404.873.3391.
