Puppetry is an ancient story-telling form. Rootstock Puppet Co. and Artistic Director Mark Blashford continue the tradition of building and performing handcrafted puppets using natural materials that imbue each character with a deep-rooted sense of place. Rootstock is about telling great stories with a dose of environmental education because the art of puppetry can support both the health of a community and its natural environment. That’s why Rootstock partners with the National Forest Foundation and The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. Proceeds from every wood-carved show go towards planting a tree for tomorrow’s puppeteer and protecting our precious natural resources. rootstockpuppet.com

Instituto Cervantes of Chicago is a not-for-profit cultural center which promotes the engagement of Hispanic art and culture and the teaching of the Spanish language in the greater Chicago area. We are located at 31 W. Ohio Street in downtown Chicago. Our facility is easily accessible by public transportation (subway, bus, car) and features a large gallery, a 160 seat auditorium, extensive classroom space and one of the largest Spanish language libraries in Illinois. For 25 years, Instituto Cervantes has celebrated the diversity and common ground among all Hispanics in Chicago. Our cultural program is unique, serving as a bridge between the various Hispanic communities where all Chicago area residents, including Mexicans, Central and South Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Spanish-Americans, and non-Hispanics, all come together to share and experience an exhibit, theatrical or dance performance, music concert, literary panel, symposium, workshop or lecture under one roof. chicago.cervantes.es