Chicago Puppet Lab Showcase Program

May 29 – Jun 1, 2025

Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center
4048 W. Armitage Ave.

No Intermission  |  Runtime: 85 minutes

The Chicago Puppet Lab is a developmental lab for Chicago artists creating new, original puppet theater work. This cohort of artists from a variety of creative backgrounds and with a range of puppetry experience has been meeting weekly with Co-directors Tom Lee and Grace Needlman since October. Thank you for joining us to celebrate their growth and discoveries at this showing of works in progress. 

Program A

Featuring works by: Irene Wa., madigan burke, Sam Lewis, and Charlie Malave
Friday, May 30 at 7pm
Saturday, May 31 at 3pm
Sunday, June 1 at 7pm

Program B

Featuring works by: Ruby Que, Anthony-Michael Stokes, Robbie Lynn Hunsinger, and Michele Stine
Thursday, May 29 at 7pm
Saturday, May 31 at 7pm
Sunday, June 1 at 3pm


she is drying 
by Irene Wa.
Music by: Kobe Dupree

Two characters and an excess of strings come together in a dance that explores the restriction of movement and the tension of control. It delves into the inner self; an encounter, an appearance, a fantasy. 

Gracias Amaya Torres and No Nation.



Operating Theater
 
by madigan burke

Join Madigan and Harvey, two highly qualified medical puppet professionals, as they perform a surgery. Featuring figurative puppets and video puppetry.



Black Episcopalian
by Sam Lewis
with Bretty Swinney
Multiplane: Richie Schiraldi
Transparency Puppet help: Jacqueline Wade
Music: Sharon Udoh, Anne Harris, Frederick Jackson Jr., Fredonia Fife and Drum

Sam asks his mom about their origins in the Episcopal Church. The incredible answer takes Sam on a journey back to his birthplace in rural Tennessee, uncovering a history he could have never imagined. 

Live feed multiplane projection.



A Suite of Dreams
Charlie Malavé
with Jack Pakieser
Original Music:Charlie Malavé

Images, sounds and feelings pulled directly from the dream world into the shared waking world. A dream story told in the language of symbols. 

Puppetry styles include projected and manipulated shadows and puppet miniatures.

Special thanks to co-puppeteer Jack Pakieser, local artist Matt Berstrom for the use of some of  his beautiful “build your own Chicago” drawings, and the many musicians who have helped me with the music: Hope Arthur, Richard Clark, Nicholas Davio, Chris Dixon, bob Garrett, Dominic Gaeitto, Anna Jacobson, Akshat Jain, Anglea Wong, and Airan Wright.


Touch

by Ruby Que
with Ashwaty Chennat
Sound design: Juan Flores

Touch plays with constructed invisibility to propose new ways of seeing and communicating using object puppetry, live sensor input from a puppet microphone and ice puppetry.



An Anansi Experience

by Anthony-Michael Stokes
with Tia Pilson
Original music: Anthony-Michael Stokes

The aspiring god of storytelling earns their title by being entrusted by the elder Sky God Nyame, with an impossible task of traveling the world and gathering all the stories and wisdom. More info at anthonymichaelstokes.com IG @kesstokreatrres



Shehnai Mist/Suona Flame

by Robbie Lynn Hunsinger

Transforming the moods and double reed music of the Indian Shehnai and Chinese Suona into puppetry with translucent shadow puppetry, animations and wearable musical instrument puppets with sound responsive projections and lights. More info at robbiehunsinger.com IG@robbiehunsinger



AudioFile

by Michele Stine
In collaboration with: Sam Hunter, Josh Sobel, Britt Anderson, and Richie Whitehead
Crankie Construction: Richie Schiraldi
Props: Carol Stine

A record player, a rotary phone, cassettes and ancient suitcases. The physical remnants of a life left behind, and the playground for someone to rediscover the joy of sound. Featuring object puppetry, crankie, figurative puppetry and solo. More info at michelejoystine.com or IG @michele_joy_stine

Production

Production Management: Anastar Alvarez 

Lighting Designer: Quinn Chisenhall

Sound Designer: Matt Reich 

Technical Director: Richie Schiraldi

Spot Operators: August Boyne, Sunnie Eraso 

Transportation: Rabbitfoot Puppetry 

Lighting Crew: Josiah Croegaert 

Stage Crew: Silas Thomas, Rachel Hartman, Abby Palen, Jackie Berlant, Sion Silva 

 

Puppet Festival Staff 

Blair Thomas, Artistic Director, Festival Founder, Chicago Puppet Studio Co-Director; Sandy Smith Gerding, Executive Director; Cameron Heinze, Business Manager; Taylor Bibat, Director of Education & Festival Coordinator; Lucy Wirtz, Events & Engagement Coordinator; Zach Sun, Studio Coordinator; Tom Lee, Chicago Puppet Studio & Puppet Lab Co-Director; Grace Needlman, Chicago Puppet Lab Co-Director & Catapult Facilitator; Caitlin McLeod, Chicago Puppet Studio Project Manager; Jess Mott Wickstrom, Graphic Design + Website; Jay Kelly, Press Relations; Deidre Huckabay, Grant Management Consulting; Nic Barnum, Festival Production Manager; Margaret Nelson, Festival Production Manager; Frank Rose, Festival Production Manager; Dr. Paulette Richards, Symposium Co-Director; Samuel J. Lewis II, Catapult Facilitator; Andy Wickstrom, Video production; Veronica Timble, Administrative Support

 

Special Thanks 

Myra Su, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Frost Lighting Chicago, Adrian Danzig and 500 Clown, Mark Brown and Timeline Theater, Charly Barrera, Omar Torres-Knight, Wendy Navarro

 

Funders 

The Chicago Puppet Lab is a program of The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival.  The Lab was created with special leadership funding from:

Kristy & Brandon Moran

Pritzker Foundation

Paul M. Angell Foundation