Free Neighborhood Tour
Free Neighborhood Tour: Fostering an Appreciation of Puppetry Throughout the City
The Free Neighborhood Tour fosters an appreciation for puppetry throughout the city by bringing free, family-friendly performances to locations outside of Chicago’s theaters, but areas in the city where people may not have the chance to see puppetry very often. The tour offers a range of high-quality puppetry styles in order to create moments of community enjoyment while expanding the base of puppet enthusiasts. For 2025, the Tour is twice the size of previous years presenting TWO free, family-friendly puppet shows from Puerto Rico and Vermont at venues and community spaces all over the city. This program was made possible with special support from Kristy & Brandon Moran, Coleman Foundation, Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks Program, and UChicago.
More than 12 performances of two free, family-friendly Shows!
More locations will be announced soon!
The Amazing Story Machine
by Sandglass Theater Co. and Doppelskope
“Endlessly inventive”
– Laurel Graeber, The New York Times
The Grimm family is on the verge of unveiling The Amazing Story Machine, which runs on steam and dreams, and promises to revolutionize how stories are told. When the contraption malfunctions, they have to invent a way to tell stories on the spot. With help from the audience and a cast of unique puppet characters, fairy tales like “The Hare and the Hedgehog,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and “The Brave Little Tailor” spring to life with a range of charming of puppetry styles and characters, and live, original music.
Running Time: 45 min
Dates and Locations
Thursday, January 16 at 4:30 pm
Austin Town Hall Cultural Center
5610 W. Lake St. (Austin)
Friday, January 17 at 4:30 pm
Marshall Field Garden Apartments/Art on Sedgwick
1408 N. Sedgwick St. (Old Town)
Sunday, January 19 at 2 pm
345 Gallery
345 N. Kedzie Ave. (Garfield Park)
Wednesday, January 22 at 6 pm
Center on Halsted
3656 N. Halsted St. (Lakeview)
Thursday, January 23 at 7 pm
eta Creative Arts Foundation
7558 S. South Chicago Ave. (Grand Crossing)
Friday, January 24 at 5 pm
Experimental Station
6100 S. Blackstone Ave. (Hyde Park)
Saturday, January 25 at 10 am + 2 pm
Berger Park Cultural Center – Coach House
6205 N. Sheridan Rd. (Edgewater)
Sunday, January 26 at 2 pm
South Shore Cultural Center Paul Robeson Theater
7059 S. South Shore Dr. (South Shore)
Hungry Garden
by Poncili Creación
Boundless energy and surrealist puppets unite as brothers Pablo and Efrain Del Hierro share their spontaneous style, infusing inanimate objects with life. Drawing on tribal symbols such as masks and totems, they evoke ancient forms of storytelling. Living up to the ideas that spawned their name, Hungry Garden brings creation and chaotic tranquility.
Running Time: 45 mins
Dates and Locations
Wednesday, January 22 at 6 pm
Theatre Y
3611 W. Cermak Rd. (North Lawndale)
Thursday, January 23 at 10:30 am + 7 pm
Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
915 E. 60th St. (Hyde Park)
Friday, January 24 at 4:30 pm
Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center
4046 W. Armitage Ave. (Hermosa)
GAR Hall and Rotunda
78 E. Washington St., 2nd Floor/North (The Loop)
