Puppet Slam in Pittsburgh features marionettes, giant puppets and more
Colorful puppets will perform at the Puppetry Guild of Pittsburgh’s fourth annual Puppet Slam on Saturday at Workingmen’s Beneficial Union in Spring Hill on the North Side.
A puppet slam is a showcase of short, contemporary puppetry. The main performances will include marionettes, giant puppets, hand puppets and shadow puppets, according to Cheryl Capezzuti, an artist from Brighton Heights, a guild member and Puppet Slam chair. Capezzuti’s giant puppets have been featured at First Night Pittsburgh’s parade every New Year’s Eve.
The venue, which is also home to Spring Hill Brewing and Rescue Street Farms, includes an outdoor picnic area. The picnic and opportunity to dance with the Giant Puppet Dance Club begins at 6 p.m. The Asado Wood Fired Grill on Wheels will be open for food service, and Spring Hill Brewing will be selling its craft beer and TeaBoy non-alcoholic carbonated tea.
The show of nine acts is from 7 to 9 p.m.
Artist Kirsten Ervin of Lawrenceville will present her show “Hippies in Space,” where the puppets live in a place called Evergreen.
This will be the first performance at Puppet Slam for Suzanne Werder of Millvale, who will sing a song for her skit.
Tom Sarver of Brighton Heights, along with his wife Kristen, will showcase a puppet that is a farmer and is having a problem keeping bugs out of his lettuce. He said this show will offer a fresh selection of performances that includes a nice mix of styles and techniques.
“There is really a craft to puppetry,” said Sarver, an artist in several fields whose work has been widely exhibited. “The short skits will keep the audience engaged, especially the children. Kids love imagination. And we love that this is not a formal theater space. It allows us to break the fourth wall,” the imaginary wall that separates actors and actresses from the audience.
Info about the Puppet Slam is on our blog https://t.co/2jBHtSfaZM
Saturday, Aug 17th at WBU in Spring Hill— Puppetry Guild of Pittsburgh (@PuppetGuildPgh) August 12, 2019
Darlene Thompson of Buffalo Township will perform two scenes from “Penelope’s Dragon,” a blonde-haired puppet with a tiara who is part of a fairy tale where she falls in love with a dragon.
Guests are invited to bring a favorite puppet to showcase at the event, which benefits the guild. The organization formed in the fall of 2015 and is working to produce more puppetry-related events in the region. It is affiliated with the national organization Puppeteers of America.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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