Performing Artists
Enjoy performances of well-known favorites –
The Frog Prince and Pinocchio, as well as original productions including Backwoods Ramblin’, Images of China and Suspended Animation – by the following troupes:
Blue Goose Theater
Co-directed by a visual artist-musician and an actor-dancer, the troupe has worked in a variety of mediums including shadow puppetry, mask work, hand and rod, and paper mache design, all accompanied by live music.
Coal Train Railroad
Jazz songs for kids.
Dragon Art Studio
Yuqin Wang and Zhengli Xu present the folklore of their native country with Chinese rod puppets that take decades to master.
Davey Ukulele and the Gag Time Gang
Nashville musicians present merry pop songs for kids.
Lee Bryan – “That Puppet Guy”
The Atlanta-based puppeteer retells a classic using found-object puppet characters constructed from various recycled things like kitchen utensils, baskets and tennis rackets in “Pinocchio!”
Mechanical Animals Puppet Caravan
The bright and bizarre creatures of the Nashville-based troupe will appeal to children and adults alike.
Phillip Huber
Perhaps best known for his marionette work in “Being John Malkovich,” Huber’s complex puppets and sophisticated performances have fascinated audiences around the world.
Wishing Chair Productions
The Nashville Public Library’s resident puppet theater company will showcase original production, “Ellingtown,” an energetic introduction to jazz for all ages.
The Puppet Truck
The Nashville Public Library pre-literacy program, Bringing Books to Life, adapts original Wishing Chair Productions performances for outreach across the city. Performing The Frog Prince and The Stone Cutter
Wood & Strings Theatre
This national theater company brings storybook illustrations to life using elegant reproductions of classic Japanese Bunraku puppets.