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About the Conference

The National Puppetry Conference provides a unique opportunity for creativity and exploration. Masters in the field of puppetry inspire and nurture participants while sharing their artistry and ingenuity. Each June, participants gather from across the globe to create works that defy the bounds of contemporary theater and the imagination. Puppet artists participate in workshops, rehearsals, master classes, and individual critique sessions over the 12-day conference. In the spirit of founding members Jane Henson; George Latshaw; Richard Termine; Bobbi Nidzgorski; Bart P. Roccoberton, Jr.; and Jim and Margo Rose, the Conference remains dedicated to creating a nurturing and supportive environment for artists to explore performance styles, develop new works of puppetry, and discover innovative techniques and projects that expand the boundaries of puppetry in performance.

PUPPETRY PERFORMANCE

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The Conference concludes in the beautiful Dina Merrill Theater and Rose Barn Theater with two public performances of an extraordinary mix of devised work from throughout the Conference, featuring guest artists, artists-in-residence, and a vast array of performance styles.

June 13 7:00pm

June 14 7:00pm

VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS:

ROSHINA RATNAM

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Roshina Ratnam is a Sri Lankan South African performer, puppeteer, writer, director, and audiobook narrator as well as the founder of Inala Theatre. Her work includes Glimmer, a puppetry piece exploring online identity, and The Life and Times of Michael K, an award-winning international collaboration with Handspring Puppet Company.​

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Masterclasses will be live-streamed at the scheduled time and then available on demand.

June 3 3:00pm

VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS:

NOEL MACNEAL

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Noel MacNeal is an Emmy Award-winning puppeteer, director, and writer. He’s well known as the voice and spirit of “Bear” from Bear in the Big Blue House and has performed in numerous shows and movies including Oobi, Eureeka’s Castle, The Puzzle Place, Sesame Street, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.

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Masterclasses will be live-streamed at the scheduled time and then available on demand.

June 3 4:00pm

VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS:

CHAMINDIKA WANDURAGALA

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Chamindika Wanduragala is a Sri Lankan American puppet artist based in Minneapolis and the founder and Executive + Artistic Director of Monkeybear’s Harmolodic Workshop, a nonprofit supporting Native, Black, and IPOC artists in contemporary puppetry. ​

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Masterclasses will be live-streamed at the scheduled time and then available on demand.

June 4 3:00pm

VIRTUAL MASTERCLASS:

LIZ HARA

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Liz Hara is a writer, puppeteer, and puppet builder who writes for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and Sesame Street. Additional writing credits include Life in Pieces, Lego Ninjago, Waffles and Mochi’s Restaurant, Helpsters, Donkey Hodie, OddSquad, and more.​

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Masterclasses will be live-streamed at the scheduled time and then available on demand.

June 4 4:00pm

JOIN US THIS SUMMER AS WE WRITE THE NEXT ACT OF THE AMERICAN THEATER.

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