Ages: 8-108

A carnival of courageous characters willing to leap into the unknown with blind hope; they traverse lands, cut across seas and conquer skies in pursuit of greater possibility. Between fiction and history, Adrift is a little epic celebration of the adventurous spirit.

Zach Fraser is a recent graduate of the puppetry program at UQÀM in Montreal, and Arianna Bardesono, is a graduate of the directing program at the National Theatre School of Canada. Both Zach and Arianna worked previously as puppeteers with Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, where this play was originally conceived.

Running time: 50 minutes

On the festive wedding day of the princess Mirabelle and the prince Beau Entiti, the guests are alarmed when a gluttonous dragon arrives at the castle.  Renowned for devouring fine fabrics, the dragon nibbles on the bridal gown and the exquisite clothing of the guests.  Will the Prince’s splendid cape also fall victim to his exotic tastes?  The moral of the tale: What is important is not the clothing that we wear, but rather how our hearts are worn for those we love.

Presented as a series of dialogues between the reciter and the marionettes, The Gluttonous Dragon sustains an astonishing illusion of life throughout, whether the animation is visible or hidden.  The illusion becomes complete when the rollicking choregraphy compels the marionettist and musician to join in the fun. This production is a gourmet smorgasbord that will be enjoyed by spectators, small and large.  Bon appetit!

Diane Bouchard, the Founder of Gestes Théâtre, is an established Quebec puppetry artist who consistently produces creative works that delight young audiences everywhere.

“Un divertissement parfait pour toute la famille … Dragon Gluton allie à merveille qualité et richesse de langue, humour et agreeable morale.” (“Perfect entertainment for the entire family.  The Gluttonous Dragon marvelously weaves together quality and richness of language with delightful humour and a satisfying moral.”) – Patrick Voyer, La Revue, Info07.com, 13 December 2011

Please note: This is a French language production.

http://www.gestes.ca/gestes_2/

Our hero Curro, a brave toreador and lover of the beautiful Rosita, employs a thousand tricks in a zany bullfight, only to end up with a cadavre on his hands, an outcome he had hardly anticipated. As he tries to extract himself from the situation, Curro makes use of a secret weapon. But when an unexpected guest arrives, the story takes an unexpected turn, and we discover that Curro is not invincible. Tauromaquia dazzles the spectator with the relentless pace of its action, the simplicity of its means, and its unmatched mixture of hectic slapstick and black humour.

Featuring, Paz Tatay, the renowned French puppeteer, and live music provide by her musical collaborator, Tauromaquia will be presented at three festivals in 2012 (Almonte’s “Puppets Up!” and festivals in Montreal and Caraquet, NB).

http://www.ciepelele.com/

ALMONTE (Town of Mississippi Mills), March 12, 2012 – People who know puppetry, in Canada and around the world, know Ronnie Burkett.  He is Canada’s foremost puppeteer and puppet dramatist, and he has a soft spot for a thriving little puppet festival in Eastern Ontario.

In the middle of a performance run at the National Arts Centre (March 13 -April 1) Burkett will devote the evening of March 26 to support Season 8 of the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival. During a “night off” from his run of “Penny Plain”, Ronnie will appear at the Fourth Stage of the NAC in “RONNIE BURKETT… UNSTRUNG”, a special benefit appearance in support of the festival.

“We are thrilled that this gifted artist and puppeteer will share an evening with festival supporters with the goal of supporting the world-class puppetry that we showcase every year in Almonte (a community within the Town of Mississippi Mills),” says Puppets Up! Artistic Director, Noreen Young. “I’m sincerely grateful for Ronnie’s artistry and his valued friendship.”

Ronnie’s critically acclaimed new production of “Penny Plain” has been working its way across Canada. Ronnie began in Edmonton, is now in Toronto, and will stop in Ottawa and Montreal in the coming months.

This fundraising performance is particularly suitable for Ronnie’s fans, puppetry lovers over 16, and supporters of Puppets Up!. During the evening, Ronnie will share stories and reflections on his career in puppetry, and demonstrate his magnificent marionettes. Live music and a few friendly puppet ambassadors from the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival will complement the program.  A personal question and answer session with Ronnie will be included in the second half of the program.

The event gets under way at 7:30 p.m.

This fundraiser is generously sponsored, in part, by business owners in Mississippi Mills. Tickets for this unique event can be purchased at Mill Street Books in Almonte (256-9090) and via the NAC’s Box Office (613-947-7000). The ticket price is $25. All proceeds will go to Puppets Up!, a not-for-profit charitable organization. This year’s festival, now in its eight year, will take place August 11th and 12th, 2012.

For more information about the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival visit www.puppetsup.ca

Media Contact:
Susan Wright
(613) 730-2020
susan@suzwright.com

Ages 4-10+

Have you ever wanted to enter a world filled with comical pirates, shiny treasure, random adventures and endless amounts of fun? Then Pirate Treasure is the show for you! Come set sail on the Ship Imagination with Fiona and Eli on a voyage like no other. A thrilling quest filled with “R’s”, Parrots and Pirate shenanigans.

Sarah Argue and Adam Wilkinson are a dynamic young duo of puppeteers who have been performing together for over nine years.  Their award-winning improv skills take their puppet productions into funny twists and turns and Pirate Treasure, the show they will present, is no exception.

Shows are geared towards children ages 4-10; however adults will enjoy the humor thrown in for them as well.

www.rockthearts.ca

All ages

Ventriloquist Tim Holland and his uncooperative puppets present a funny, warm and interactive show that appeals to all ages.

Get set for more laughs than you can shake a stick-puppet at − the Puppet Tamer is a fast-action comedy show that features a crazy blend of ventriloquism, juggling, unicyling and on-the-spot improvising.  Through cheap trickery and genuine magic, master ventriloquist Tim Holland convinces the audience of the dangers associated with taming of ferocious and uncooperative puppets.

This show brings the best in live theatre to life − WARNING – DO NOT FEED the PUPPETS!

www.puppettamer.com

Videos: www.puppettamer.com/videolink.html

Cake, balloons, music, party hats, and… broccoli?! A whole bunch of puppets (and one terrific young fiddler) are trying to plan a surprise birthday party for Jimmy Naismith, and they need your help. Who’s Jimmy, you ask? Why, the Inventor of Basketball himself, who was born near Almonte 150 years ago. You never know who might turn up to help celebrate and teach us a little bit about the great Canadian man behind the famous game!

Puppets Up! mascot, Nick, and the bronze statue that commemorates James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.

This is a puppet show for children aged 6 to 13, and for the whole family.

Puppeteer Salim Hammad and director René Bazinet bring their unique interpretation of a popular Hans Christian Anderson’s tale, The Nightingale, to the Puppets Up! stage with their production of I was looking for garlic, I found pistachio.

In one of the most beautiful countries in the world, there lived a nightingale whose wonderful singing charmed everyone, from the poorest fisherman to the emperor. The bird’s song would bring up tears to the listener’s eyes. Eventually, the emperor decided he had to have that enchanting sound in his porcelain palace. What happens next? Is this a happy or a sad story?

In recent years, Salim’s clowning and puppetry has been featured in productions by the National Film Board (Maurice Sendak’s Higglety Pigglety Pop!) and the Cirque du Soleil (Mosaïque). Salim has also adapted the scripts of Félix Leclerc for adult puppet shows.

http://www.salimmarionnettes.blogspot.com

“Je cherchais de l’ail, j’ai trouvé des pistaches.”

Puppets Up! is always on the look out for artisans and vendors who focus on unique kids toys and puppet related stuff for families. Ingrid Harris is our contact for that and she can be reached at theurbanplanet@gmail.com or 613 2565577.

Hope to see you there!!

More information can be found on our “For Vendors” page!