Center for Puppetry Arts: pulling strings for Atlanta
Published: Mar 27, 2009
If Pinocchio had seen the Center for Puppetry Arts, he might not have been in such a hurry to give up his life of strings.
It's the puppets who take center stage at the Atlanta attraction, where millions have visited to learn, explore and be entertained since its 1978 founding.
Kermit the Frog, accompanied by his creator, Jim Henson, cut the ribbon to officially open the Center for Puppetry Arts, the largest non-profit organization in the U.S. dedicated to puppetry.
At the center, you can watch a puppet show, learn how to make a puppet, explore a collection of puppets from other cultures and see original puppets from the "Pigs in Space" skit from Jim Henson's "The Muppet Show" and other Henson productions.
The three-story center is home to three theatres — a 350-seat Mainstage Theater, 170-seat Downstairs Theater, 70-seat Theater III — as well as a museum, library and rooms for workshops.
The focus is on the theaters and their productions, however. Shows vary from day to day, so to plan your trip to the center, take a look at the year-round schedule of performances and events. Tickets to any performance include admission to the center's museum.
The center’s Family Series stages shows geared towards school-age children, with productions and workshops aligned to curriculum objectives. Many performances bring to life fairy tales or such beloved children’s books as Stellaluna, as well as new works in a spectrum of styles.
After enjoying a performance, audience members can take a Create-a-Puppet Workshop and create a puppet to take home. Other educational programs explore puppetry in other cultures.
The adult-oriented New Direction Series of shows takes on more serious subjects such as vampires, Poe and the ribaldry of Punch and Judy shows. The Xpermimental Puppetry Theatre allows professional artists to experiment with puppetry media ranging from marionettes to stop-motion animation, robotics to masked dance.
Get a closer look at famous puppets in the Center's Museum, displaying puppets from around the world. collection of puppets, books, posters and videos from around the world.
Muppet fans of all ages will delight in the long-running exhibit of Jim Henson’s work, including puppets from the “Pigs in Space” skits on “The Muppet Show.” Also in the museum, visitors can see examples of adult humor in puppetry inhe work of Wayland Flowers and his bawdy Madame, who is on display with three other adult puppets. (The risqué material is limited to viewing by adults.)
The Center is the headquarters of the American branch of the international puppetry organization Union International de la Marionnette, the oldest theater organization in the world.
- by Diane Loupe, Atlanta Reporter for HelloMetro
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