In honor of this occasion, Puppet Showplace Theater’s 40^th Anniversary Legacy Gala will bring together generations of artists and supporters for an elegant evening event featuring courtyard performances, fine food, live music, and the annual presentation of two outstanding achievement awards.

The 40^th Anniversary Legacy Gala will take place at the George H. Wightman Mansion, 43 Hawes Street, Brookline MA. Tickets are $75 – $1,000. Children under 13 may attend for free. Garden party attire. To order tickets call the Puppet Showplace Box Office at 617-731-6400 x 101, or make a reservation online at www.puppetshowplace.org.

Gala Chairs: Puppet Showplace Theater thanks the Honorable Frank I Smizik (State Representative, 15^thNorfolk District), Chobee Hoy of Chobee Hoy Associates; Sarah and Joel Lamstein, and the Churchill Family for their support of the Legacy Gala.

Featured Performers: Gala attendees will enjoy performances by over a dozen nationally recognized artists including Crabgrass Puppet Theatre, Tanglewood Marionettes, Ronald Binion(Lead puppeteer for Comedy Central’s Crank Yankers) and Great Small Works. Puppet Showplace’s current Resident Artist Brad Shur will also perform works by Paul Vincent Davis, the theater’s Artist in Residence Emeritus. Performances will take place on a rolling basis in the courtyard and throughout the mansion.

Honorees

Dr. Susan Linn will receive the Creative Leadership Award. Dr. Linn is Director of the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. Her book, Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood launched the movement to reclaim childhood from corporate marketers. Dr. Linn is also an award winning ventriloquist and children’s entertainer and is internationally known for her innovative use of puppets in child psychotherapy, which she pioneered at Boston Children’s Hospital. Among many other honors, Dr. Linn received a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association for her work on behalf of children.

Dr. John Bell and Trudi Cohen (Great Small Works) will receive the Paul Vincent Davis Award. Bell is Director of the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry. He and Cohen met as puppeteers in the Bread and Puppet Theater where they both worked from 1975 to 1985. John is the author of many books and articles about puppet theater, including co-editing the forthcoming Routledge Guide to Puppetry and Material Performance. Trudi has been producing director of Great Small Works’ three most recent International Toy Theater Festivals in Brooklyn, NY; and John is artistic director of the 2015 Puppeteers of America National Festival. Trudi and John play in the Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band, and are organizers of the annual HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands in Somerville, MA.

Puppet Showplace Theater is an award-winning non-profit performing arts organization dedicated to presenting outstanding professional puppetry to diverse audiences through performances, workshops, and community outreach activities.  Established in 1974, Puppet Showplace Theater is the first and only year-round dedicated puppetry presenter in New England.

Puppet Showplace Theater is wheelchair accessible and located opposite the Brookline Village T station on the  D-Green Line.