Scholarly Colloquia and Events

  • 4/12 Making Theater with Actors and Puppets Forum

    As part of the 2018 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with director Madeline Sayet and puppet designer Zach Broome entitled Direction and Collaboration: Making Theater with Actors and Puppets on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs.

    Exciting young director, writer, performer, and educator Madeline Sayet, together with puppet designer and UConn Puppet Arts graduate student Zachary Broome discuss puppetry and the collaborative process in the making of Connecticut Repertory Theatre's production of Qui Nguyen's play She Kills Monsters, a performance which integrates traditional acting as well as elaborate costumes and puppets. This forum is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Repertory Theatre.

    She Kills Monsters, which runs from March 22 to March 31 at UConn's Studio Theatre, finds an intriguing balance between comedy and themes of death and loss, while appealing to the geek in us all. After the loss of her little sister Tilly in a car accident, Agnes attempts to get to know her better through the Dungeons and Dragons notebook she left behind. Immersed in a wild adventure of a fantasy world full of monsters, homicidal fairies and elves, and 90s pop culture, Agnes learns more about her sister and the misunderstood gaming world she was a part of before she was abruptly taken away. Find out more and buy tickets by visiting crt.uconn.edu.

    Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. Come early, and visit our new "American Puppet Modernism: The Early 20th Century" exhibition, as well as the video resources in our library nook. Visitors can park in the Storrs Center Garage located at 33 Royce Circle. Parking in the Storrs Center Garage is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. Forums will be broadcast via Facebook Live. Call 860-486-8580 for more information or visit bimp.uconn.edu.  
    For more information, contact: Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at bimp@uconn.edu