About the Artist/Ensemble

Activating imaginations through the power of puppetry! Barefoot Puppet Theatre has toured award-winning programs to theatres, schools, libraries, museums, and more since 1997. Children, families, educators, librarians, and theatre directors give enthusiastic reviews of our programs and invite us back again and again. Audiences love our innovative, hand-crafted puppets and beautifully built staging and scenery.

Touring shows can adapt to a variety of spaces. We work with each venue to co-create a fully theatrical experience wherever we perform. Whether we are in a state-of-the-art theatre or a “gymna-cafetorium,” we come prepared to create the best experience for our audiences.

Concert/Performance Description

Puppet performances are fully produced and feature professional puppeteers, a full cast of beautifully handcrafted puppets, imaginative sets, and interactive elements for young audiences. Post-performance Question & Answer sessions with our puppetry artists plus a “Footnotes Learning Guides” for educators are always available.

Please visit www.barefootpuppets.com for additional information, learning guides, and audience size recommendations for each show. Specific performances adapt well to sensory-friendly programming needs, non-English speakers, and other audiences with special needs. Contact us to learn more about audience accommodations.

New Squid on the Block
Running Time: 45 minutes
Audience: Grades PK-5 and family audiences

It can be hard to make friends. Especially if you have tentacles. Journey to Antarctica as a curious squid seeks connection in the most unlikely of places. Penguins, orcas, and jellyfish abound in an icy landscape for this heartwarming tale of friendship. Beautifully handcrafted puppets, an original score by Ned Haskins, and a good dose of silliness, combine to create a comedic, wordless performance that celebrates  our ability to create connections, despite our differences. This show can be performed with a live orchestra – please contact Barefoot Puppets for more information.

Galapagos George
Running Time: 50 minutes
Audience: Grades K-8 and family audiences

Based on the true story of “Lonesome George,” this show tells the tale of a truly one-on-a-kind tortoise from the Galapagos Islands. Watch George grow up among sea turtles, lizards, hungry goats, sea lions, and dancing birds with blue feet. As you visit his island, you hear the true story of the last tortoise to be found on Pinta Island in the Galapagos archipelago. Fall in love with these islands…and this not-so-little tortoise!

Little Red & the Gingerbread Man
Running Time: 35 – 45 minutes
Audience: Grades PK-2 (ages 2-8) and family audiences

Two tales rolled into one! This show combines two well-loved, classic tales to create an original, fun-filled romp through fairy tales. Original music, snowy scenery, and everyone’s favorite Big Bad Wolf make up this seasonal favorite for our youngest audiences. Available November through February.

Can’t Catch Me!
Running Time: 35 minutes
Audience: Grades PK-2 (ages 2-8) and family audiences

Even the potholders come to life in this mixed up retelling of “The Gingerbread Boy.” This heart-warming story of caretaking, sharing, and cookies is told with rod puppets and object puppets. The audience is able to participate in this interactive show with plenty of animals sounds (and they can even name the cookies!).

Technical Requirements

• 15’ X 15’ clear performance space with an 8’ ceiling minimum required for all shows
• “New Squid on the Block” requires additional wing space or a stage plot of 22’ X 15’
• multiple electrical outlets

Educational Programs

Performances, residencies, workshops, and professional development workshops are available throughout the year and can be customized to specific learning objectives. We are always thrilled to share more about puppetry during post-show discussions, and we can even demonstrate how the puppets work. Some of our most popular educational programs include:

• Thinking Outside the Socks (an interactive presentation)
• Emoji Puppets (a puppet-making workshop)
• Underwater Shadow Puppetry (shadow puppetry workshop)
• Eco-solutions (an arts integration workshop for Grades 4 and up)
• Puppet Prototyping (a STEM workshop for Grades 5 – 12)

Our performers have extensive experience with arts integration. The puppetry arts practice includes prototyping, scriptwriting, building, and manipulation – these processes provide countless opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. Contact us to learn more!

Fees

Mainstage/Theater Performances: $850- $1500
School Shows/Libraries: $500 – $750
Workshops: $150 – $300
Masterclasses & Educator Professional Development: $500 – $800 per day, per artist
Artist-in-Residencies: Please inquire

Discounts are available for block-booking, back-to-back/consecutive shows, and smaller venues. 
Additional travel and accommodation expenses to be determined by service and location

Audience

• All Ages