Felted wool is my favorite medium for making puppets. This method of construction allows me to sit in a comfy chair overlooking the bird feeder and make a vast array of charming puppets without getting wet, without waiting for stuff to dry, or without getting poisoned by toxic glues.

Workshop participants will explore principles of puppet design while learning how to create puppets from needle felted wool. While making either a rod puppet or a hand puppet, participants will learn a variety of construction techniques. Come learn more about working with wool! It is light weight, great for all seasons (the hand puppets actually let your hand breath and not get clammy), and is a renewable source. And, sheep like getting haircuts!

What happens when shadow puppetry meets portable micro-theater at an intimate puppet festival? An impromptu puppet slam, of course ;).

In this hands-on intensive, participants will design and build their own pop-up flipbook shadow theater and create an original 3–5 minute puppet slam performance designed for this unique format.

Guided by Sea Beast Puppet Company's Artistic Director, Kat Pleviak, artists will explore how shadow imagery, movement, and sequencing function within the compact storytelling structure of a flipbook theater. Participants will develop visual narratives using paper craft to construct a small portable performance that allows images to unfold through the magic of light.

The class concludes with a public Puppet Meltdown puppet slam to showcase the work created at the festival, where participants will premiere the work they created during the intensive. This workshop is designed for puppeteers, theatre makers, visual storytellers, and adventurous artists interested in exploring shadow puppetry as a compact performance medium. No prior shadow puppetry experience is required, though curiosity and a willingness to experiment are a must! No need to bring anything; all materials will be provided. Sign up today, as space is limited. We can’t wait to see what you make!

MAKE IT! is a full day workshop in the creation of puppetry/object work. 

The workshop will start with some introductions of basic principles of the devising process and will slowly work up to a 2-3 minute piece that you can take to your next puppet slam or use as a seed for a longer piece. The workshop will explore multiple inroads to the devising process, such as drawing inspiration from physical impulse, music, and objects. Some time will also be dedicated to working through common devising roadblocks like perfectionism and premature criticism. The emphasis will be more on the creation of new work and less on specific puppetry techniques. 

No prior experience in puppetry is required – Vanessa is excited to facilitate your process, no matter where you are in your exploration.

Inspired by limberjacks, Miss Pussycat has figured out a few different ways to make dancing puppets for a tabletop show. Participants will learn how about various types of joints for arms and legs, practice movement, and create their own dancing prancing tabletop puppet.

FOR AGES 14 AND UP. Workshop materials are provided but participants should bring their own scissors, glue guns, and exacto or box cutter if possible.

Write and film a puppet short with seasoned television professionals Liz Hara and Frankie Cordero! In this fifteen-hour workshop, participants will learn the three-act story structure, then work together in a writer’s room to craft a script with Liz on Thursday. Friday and Saturday morning, students will rehearse and film under the direction of Frankie. Liz and Frankie will be team teaching and guiding everyone through the process the whole weekend.

This class is for intermediate to advanced on-camera puppeteers. You must already have an excellent grasp of eye focus, lip sync, movement, etc. using external monitors. Space for up to eight participants. Audition reel required: contact [email protected] for instructions.

Don’t miss this chance to work with some of the best in the industry!

Barb just wants to go to a leadership conference and be the woman she was meant to be. But can she stay awake long enough to find out what she needs to know in order to succeed? Does her subconscious life contain the real answers to her big life questions?

This tabletop puppet show by New Orleans based artists Miss Pussycat and Quintron follows two bearcats named Sassy and Clare as they throw a party in the forest. Adventure ensues as they navigate making a guest list and decorating so that it does not look like a Cracker Barrel or Bonnaroo. But what happens when a party guest goes off the deep end during the talent show? The road goes on forever and the party never ends!

Featuring dancing prancing puppets, a demon, and a girl that can control her hair with her mind, this para-cosmic puppet show explores the meaning of friendship and entertainment.

Sometimes love gets a little bit prickly…

In this woodland puppet rom-com, Lily the hedgehog helps her best friend Marco woo the girl of his dreams, but discovers that hiding her feelings can’t protect her heart.

You Have Arrived is a non-verbal, visually stunning one-person performance that brings the realities of climate change and climate refugees to life. Using a dynamic large-scale pop-up book and captivating puppetry, the piece tells non-verbal yet powerful stories of displacement and resilience. Inspired by traditional Iranian visual arts and music, the show transcends language barriers, making it accessible to intergenerational audiences as young as three. Both intimate and universal, You Have Arrived creates a space for empathy and dialogue about climate change, human migration, and our shared responsibility to one another.

A bit of a twist on this old tale of a magical fish who can grant wishes - up to a point! When Letitia’s mother and sister visit, the wish is for something with a little more room than their wee shack. Then, Leo’s brother and sister-in-law plan to visit - and they have five children! More guests! An even bigger house! How will it all end?

A public Puppet Meltdown to showcase the work created at the festival, where participants will premiere the work they created during the intensive.

Expect a fun, funny, engaging, and delightfully silly experience that the whole family will love. Featuring an experienced and talented Madison-based cast, this unique event is a celebration of storytelling, creativity, and the magic of improvisation.