This exciting World Puppetry Day celebration brought together artists from across the country to share their love of storytelling! “Sidecar Puppetry Revue”, our third virtual event which was co-produced with Twistedheart Puppetworks, took place on March 21st, 2021 and was filled with charming puppetry in all styles from the classic monster style to shadow puppetry to our live puppet co-host, Cherry!

Meet our friend Cherry who helped host our celebration of World Puppetry Day, “Sidecar Puppetry Revue”. Cherry is a very special monster…she hails from New York City, her favorite color is, no surprise, red and she is a very talented singer (or at least she thinks she is…you might too after having a few sidecars to drink). She thinks a terrible decision was made to not have her be the sole host of the show and she has plenty to say about it!

 We were so excited to have the Bob Baker Marionette Theater help open our show! In 1963, Bob Baker and partner Alton Wood transformed a run-down scenic shop near downtown Los Angeles into a family entertainment institution: Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Named an official Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument in 2009, the Theater has served over one million children with original shows ranging from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” to a musical journey through the history of Los Angeles. After Bob’s passing in 2014 at the age of 90, the puppeteers and staff had to transition to being the stewards of both the past and the future of Bob’s beloved Theater. The Bob Baker moved from the historic home to a new theater in Highland Park and the past decade has been spent doing everything possible to preserve this essential part of the history of puppetry. Enjoy this glimpse into the magical world of Bob Baker Marionette Theater!

 Once upon a time, long before Disney and other animation giants, Lotte Reiniger ignited the world of film with shadows, light and a pair of magical scissors. Her own fairytale story is something quite special and we are thrilled that Trick Studio shared their short film about Lotte’s life with us at our “Sidecar Puppetry Revue” in our virtual 100-seat theater. If you want to learn more about Lotte’s amazing life and see some photographs of her work head over to our diary entry “That Silhouette Girl” about her life and the Trick Studio film.

“Hanjo” is a beautiful and award-winning shadow puppetry opera created by Twistedheart Puppetworks that portrays a Japanese love story as told by a crane and a fox. The inspiration is Japanese “yōkai” ... supernatural spirits that transcend form. The orchestra music is created by Brendan Nguyen and is produced entirely on the piano using unusual techniques like a rosin coated fishing line to mimic a violin. You really won’t want to miss this stunning and stirring piece.

 Puppeteer, Rey Hernandez, joins Tania Yager as an artistic duo for "Similarities and Differences". Enjoy the conversation between two monsters, Cherry and her wasabi loving friend, Terrance.

We had a great visit from the Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts at our “Sidecar Puppetry Revue” event in celebration of World Puppetry Day! Kermit the Frog himself was on site to cut the ribbon of the Center for Puppetry Arts in 1978! Since then, this unique cultural center has educated, enlightened and entertained millions of visitors, introducing them to the wonder and art of puppetry. Enjoy a glimpse into this enchanting place, home to many puppets…including the largest collection of Jim Henson’s work!

 What do you get when you combine 5 pounds of wool, 46 highly enthusiastic filmmakers and 2 years of hard work? … “Zero”! We were lucky enough to share this beautiful award-winning film at our event. “Zero” is a 12’32 stop motion animation by Australian husband and wife filmmaking duo, Christopher and Christine Kezelos. This dark fairytale takes place in a world where the inhabitants are born into a numerical caste system. Faced with constant persecution, Zero, walks a lonely path until a chance encounter changes his life forever when he meets a companion Zero. Together they prove that through determination, courage, and love, nothing can be truly something.

 We were thrilled to have our friends at Sacred Junk Bar in Anaheim demonstrate how to make the perfect sidecar cocktail at our “Sidecar Puppetry Revue”. We have created somewhat of a tradition with our virtual events of offering a unique cocktail and we couldn’t pass up this great opportunity to show off the sidecar. The exact origin of this drink is unclear, but it is thought to have been invented around the end of World War I in either London or Paris. The recipe was simplified into an assortment of ingredients over time and that is where Sacred Junk Bar comes in … to show us how to create the perfect sidecar cocktail! We love getting to work with our neighbors in Anaheim and Sacred Junk Bar has a mission that is close to our hearts, to create a sanctuary in the city…a place to relax and let your imagination run free!

Tania Yager of Twistedheart Puppetworks teachs you how to make your very own magical dragon puppet!

 Have you ever been invited somewhere extraordinary but then were worried that maybe you didn’t belong? This is the story of “Finneas Frog Was Lost” that was presented by Twistedheart Puppetworks at our celebration of World Puppetry Day. Enjoy the show and don’t get lost like Finneas!

 This is a mesmerizing piece by Molly Maslak titled “Open if Found”! Molly is an actress, writer and, of course, a puppeteer based in Southern California. She shares with us her tale filled with light, movement and a variety of charming forest creatures…you won’t want to miss it!

 Dawn Elliott & Joel Schlemowitz brought us their 18th century style opaque projection show, "Phantasmagoria"! Joel is an experimental filmmaker based in Brooklyn who works with 16mm film, shadow play, magic lanterns, and stereographic media. He is the author of “Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture Camera: An Introductory Guide for Artists and Filmmakers” . This was a very unique addition to our show! If you would like to learn more about magic lanterns, be sure to visit our diary entry, “Magic Lanterns in His Blood”, about Joel’s mentor, Terry Borton.

We had a fantastic time hosting the show with Rex and Cherry (even if Cherry not-so-secretly wished we weren’t there)!