Chicago Puppet Fest presents:
Blair Thomas: Does a Dog Have Buddha Nature?
Blair Thomas: Does a Dog Have Buddha Nature?
As charming as it is beautiful, Blair Thomas’ most recent puppetry creation takes the form of a large-scale, four-panel crankie in this koan, offering insight into the rascally nature of a dog and his owner. Performed with “technically superb and musically brilliant” Chicago saxophone quartet ~Nois and featuring hand painted, 100-foot long scrolls. With special opening act, Cowboy Outlaw performed with Silas Thomas, and based on the true story of an outlaw who’s fame and travels outlived him.
“fiendishly good”
— Chicago Tribune
“technically superb and musically brilliant”
— Cleveland Classical
Event Details
Dates/Times:
Sunday, January 25 at 8 p.m.
Monday, January 26 at 2 p.m.
Monday, January 26 at 5 p.m.
Monday, January 26 at 8 p.m.
Location:
Chopin Theatre Mainstage
1543 W. Division St.
Cost:
$43 Regular
$35 Students and Seniors
Ages: All Ages
Running Time: 45 mins
ADA Accessible? Yes
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With special Support From:
The Marshall Frankel Foundation
About the Artists
About the Venue
About the Artists
Chicago/U.S.
Blair Thomas has recently returned to directing and performing, last as the puppet director for the feature film Dear Stranger (2025) and the Festival’s Little Amal Spectacle (2023). His credits with Blair Thomas & Co (2002-2018) include Pierrot Lunaire ( MCA), The Selfish Giant (Chicago Children’s Theater), The Ox-Herder’s Tale (MCA), Hard Headed Heart (The Biograph Theater), The Vinegar Works (Loyola Museum of Art), Moby-Dick (Charleville Festival France) and Buried Alive With Edgar Allan Poe (Nordland Visual Theatre Norway). He has performed in festivals in France, Spain, Slovenia and Mexico and across the US. He had started Redmoon Theater in 1989, where he served as the artistic director and co-artistic director until 1998, during which time he was principal in the creation of all its productions, parades and pageants. His first company, The Palace Puppeteers performed in churches and schools in his home town in Alabama 1975-1977. Blair is a graduate of Oberlin College (1985), with a dharma teacher ordination from the Maitreya Buddhist Seminary (2009) and an MA in Art History from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2023).
About the Venue
Chopin Theatre has been a pillar of Chicago’s avant-garde arts scene since its founding in 1990. Nestled in the heart of Wicker Park, this beloved venue has a long history of presenting bold, experimental work that pushes the boundaries of conventional theater. Over the years, Chopin Theatre has hosted over 1,400 events, including theater, music, poetry readings, film screenings, and art exhibitions, making it one of the most prolific venues in Chicago’s cultural landscape. The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is proud to partner with a venue that shares our commitment to innovation and the exploration of new artistic horizons. This year, the festival will bring daring puppet performances to Chopin, offering audiences a chance to see puppetry in a venue that has hosted some of the city’s most diverse and dynamic art for decades. Be prepared for an unforgettable experience in this intimate, uniquely artistic space!
