Upcoming Shows And Events

Before the three Goats Gruff can cross the bridge, they must outwit a hungry troll. Lots of audience participation in addition to hand and rod puppets help to tell this exciting story. Recommended Preschool and up. Download the Study Guide here.

The classic story of the little girl who unexpectedly meets up with the three bears. Recommended for ages Pre-K and up. Download the Study and Activity Guide here.

Our brand new Halloween show premieres with our favorite farmer and all his animals. Lots of sing-a-long fun, this is a Halloween treat for our youngest audience members! Great for preschool to grade 2.

Our slams are curated evenings full of short pieces by a variety of professional puppeteers. You may see funny, scary, or edgy shows throughout the night. The Spooky Wooky puppet slam will be hosted by America's Favorite Cartoon Witch, Toybox! Keith Shubert from Asheville, North Carolina is an audience favorite. Shubert is the founder of Toybox Theater which has been delighting adult and child audiences since 1999. He has performed at puppetry festivals, schools, galleries, theaters, and rock clubs. He performed in the 2013 National Puppet Slam.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 day of the show. We highly recommend making reservations. Slams are for adults 18 and over only. Drinks are available for a suggested donation for those who are 21 and up. Like our Adult Slam Facebook page to stay up to date on all the wonderful Slam Stuff!

Who will help the Little Red Hen with all the work it takes to get wheat made into bread? This sing-along show invites lots of audience participation and shares a valuable message about helping each other. Download the Study Guide here.

Imagine This! is comprised of many different stories written by kids for kids. This annual program is always different and always exciting. Kenilworth elementary students write original stories and a panel of judges chooses the best to be made into shows by our professional puppeteers using a variety of puppet styles. Expect a high energy show filled with fun!

Who will help the Little Red Hen with all the work it takes to get wheat made into bread? This sing-along show invites lots of audience participation and shares a valuable message about helping each other. **Theater closed November 23 for Thanksgiving** Download the Study Guide here.

Our slams are curated evenings full of short pieces by professional puppeteers. You may see funny, scary, or edgy shows throughout the night. Each month we have one special guest artist. This month we are proud to have Rasputin's Marionettes which specializes in unique and surprising solo marionnette performances. Matt Scott, founder of Rasputin's, has been pushing the limits of puppetry for the past 20 years. From foul-mouthed adult monologues, to wanton burlesque dames, and shocking holiday characters, Rasputin's Marionettes has pushed the envelope of what adult puppetry can showcase to shocked and amused audiences.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 day of the show. We highly recommend making reservations. Slams are for adults 18 and over only. Drinks are available for a suggested donation for those who are 21 and up. Like our Adult Slam Facebook page to stay up to date on all the wonderful Slam Stuff!

A joyful celebration of Christmas with stories, music, and an amazing array of puppets. Great for all ages.

The girl, the prince, the glass slipper! Lots of laughs and special effects make Cinderella an audience favorite. This show was awarded the UNIMA-USA Citation for Excellence in Puppetry. *Sunday, January 21 is a special event, Cinderella's Ball!* Download the Study Guide here.

Ring in the new year with some amazing puppet shows and our lovely guest artist, Pam Severns! Severns is a puppeteer, musician, and comic for stage and screen. She has worked on comedy and puppetry projects with IFC, MTV, PBS, Amazon Studios, Fuse Network, and Seeso and has performed at the San Francisco Comedy Festival, the 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival in Minneapolis, and the O'Neill National Puppetry Conference. She is on the board of directors for the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry and can be found performing around LA.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 day of the show. We highly recommend making reservations. Slams are for adults 18 and over only. Drinks are available for a suggested donation for those who are 21 and up. Like our Adult Slam Facebook page to stay up to date on all the wonderful Slam Stuff!

In this adorable show, Little Dino is scared to lose his very first baby tooth. Luckily, his friend Maisy the butterfly is around to help ease his fears and teach him how to take good care of his teeth, healthy eating habits, and how to brush to keep baby and big teeth happy and healthy. Best for PreK audiences and up, this is one of our most popular new touring shows and is playing for one week only!

The story of The Snowflake Man is inspired by Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, the self-educated farmer and scientiest who attracted world attention in 1885 when he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal. Awarded an UNIMA Citation of Excellence, this show swings audiences into the historic 1920s through creative storytelling, intricately designed marionettes, and a pop-up book of striking water color scenery. The Snowflake Man combines art, science, and a little known piece of American history to magical effect! This show supports AZ Weather Unit Curriculum - Download the Study Guide here.

Our Lovey-Dovey Puppet Slam takes a turn towards the dark with our amazing guest artists - Night Shade. Night Shade Shadow Theater was founded in 2007 by artists Sarah Frechette and Jason Thibodeaux who are revolutionizing ancient shadow puppetry by using light to manipulate depth and space. Blending pocket-lights, hand-cut illustrations, an original soundtrack and experimental storytelling into a form of cinematic theater that flows like film. Night Shade has lit up puppetry, art and music festivals across the U.S. including the New Orleans 2017 Giant Puppet Festival. Sarah and Jason also make experimental puppetry films and have worked on stop-motion films at LAIKA studios. For more info see their website or Insta @thehandandtheshadow.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 day of the show. We highly recommend making reservations. Slams are for adults 18 and over only. Drinks are available for a suggested donation for those who are 21 and up. Like our Adult Slam Facebook page to stay up to date on all the wonderful Slam Stuff!

Grandpa Saguaro tells little Sammy Saguaro the importance of the saguaro cactus in the desert and to the many animals that live there too. Ages Kindergarten and up. Download Study Guide here.

Based on the folk song by Fred Penner, this hilarious show tells the story of Mr Johnson and a mysterious cat who keeps returning to his doorstep. This show promises to delight elementary children from Kindergarten to 6th grade and is great fun for the whole family! Download the Study Guide here.

This month we have a special, full-length production instead of our usual Puppet Slams.

What if George Lucas had decided to turn his epic space saga into a musical puppet show? Find out in this wacky parody of Star Wars written by Curt Bright and adapted to puppet theater by Mesner Puppet Theater Artistic Director Mike Horner. Learn more at their website.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 day of the show. We highly recommend making reservations. Drinks are available for a suggested donation for those who are 21 and up.

Lost Canyon, Arizona is too far away for the Easter Bunny, so he gets his cousin, Jack Rabbit to help deliver Sally Johnson's Easter basket. But it's awful far and kind of dangerous! This cute musical is played with large rod puppets on the big stage and is great for families and children of all ages!

A penguin scientist gets help from an artistic monkey in this original marionette show that appears from the puppeteers pockets! This show has lots of audience participation and his great for PreK kids and up.

Our slams are curated evenings full of short pieces by a variety of professional puppeteers. You may see funny, scary, or edgy shows throughout the night. This month, Kurt Hunter of Hunter Marionettes brings his innovative solo marionette work, including the amazing "Sock Puppet Serenade" which won an UNIMA-USA Citation for Excellence in Puppetry.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 day of the show. We highly recommend making reservations. Slams are for adults 18 and over only. Drinks are available for a suggested donation for those who are 21 and up. Like our Adult Slam Facebook page to stay up to date on all the wonderful Slam Stuff!

Our most popular original show is back! It's Princess Harriet's birthday and everyone is invited! Fun for the whole family with plenty of singing, sparkles, and smelly foot hilarity! Recommended for Preschool age and up. Download the Activity Guide here.

The big bad wolf and three little pigs are delightful to watch in this classic story told with large rod puppets. Ages Pre-K and up. Download the Study Guide here.