TIMELINE
By September 2017
Total 2,276 shows for more than 123,000 children and almost 70,000 adults.
2015. PuppetART received 6 nominations from Encore Michigan to Annual Oscar Wilde Awards for Michigan Theaters and won 2 awards.
School Residencies: Higgins Elementary; Academy of Americas; ten Detroit Schools in collaboration with InsideOut Literary project; Shiawassee Arts Center, Owosso, MI; Morse and Wattles Elementary Schools, Troy, MI
Support Local Communities Donated 1484 tickets for the theater performances to schools, churches, clubs, centers, and other children’s organizations and projects.
Performed free of charge shows for Pontiac Art Center, Shir Shalom, Compuware, Bortz Nursing home, group of Native American families, COTS
Festivals Detroit Festivals of Art,
2002 Dearborn, Regional Puppetry Festival;
African Festival,
Kalamazoo Russian Festival
2014 Detroit, Great Lakes Regional Puppet Festival.
GUEST ARTISTS
From Detroit:
Nancy Henk Brad Lowe, Robert Papineau,
Bob Smith, Jim Jarecki, Jahra McKinney, Greg Johnson, Eugene Clark, Fratellanza Theater
From Connecticut:
Marilyn O’Connor Miller,
James Napolitano
From Indonesia:
Sigit Soegito
SHOWS PERFORMED:
“PurimShpiel” 114
“Cinderella” 262
“Firebird” 168
“Little Purim” 55
“Close the window” 92
“Kolobok” 402
“Crane Maiden” 151
“Oh, Ananse!” 250
“Turtle Island” 140
“Banana for Turtle.” 93
“The Sleeping Beauty” 166
“Snow Queen” 54
“Dreamtigers” 32
“Mouk’s Adventures” 10
Sept. 2014 Premiere of “Mouk’s Adventures”
Sept. 2012 Premiere of “DreamTigers”
Sept. 2011 Premiere of “Snow Queen”
Sept. 2007 Premiere of “Sleeping Beauty”
Dec. 2005 Premiere of “Banana for Turtle”
April 2003 Premiere of “Turtle Island”
June 2009 PuppetART introduced a pilot program for teachers to integrate Puppetry into educational curricula.
December 2006 PuppetART published “A History of Puppetry in Detroit”, historical research of the important events and people who influenced the development of Puppetry in Detroit from the beginning of the 18th century to current times.
February 2003 Collaboration work with The Rackham Symphony Choir “Reluctant Dragon”
November 2001 Premiere of“Journey to Asamando” – production for an adult audience based on African tale in collaboration with storyteller Jahra McKinney and composer Robby Gall.
April 2001 Premiere of “Oh, Ananse!” in collaboration with storyteller Jahra McKinney.
March 2001 3 weeks tour to FAME Festival, Indiana with “Cinderella”
April 2000 Premiere of “Crane Maiden”
December 1999 First Holiday Month in PuppetART, a celebration of Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa
October 1999 Premiere of “Kolobok”
July 1999 PuppetART changed the name American Russian Theater to Detroit Puppet Theater
June 1999 Received the Letter of Recognition from Mayor of Detroit, Dennis W. Archer
April 1999 First Puppetry Month in PuppetART
Sept.1998 Opening of First Season
May 1998 Start of the renovation of a new place to make it a new home for PuppetART – Theater, Studio, Museum.
March 21, 1998, PuppetART signed a contract to lease the space at 25 E. Grand River, downtown Detroit
July 1997 Weeklong tour to Birmingham, Alabama with “Cinderella”
June 1997 Premiere of “Close the Window” at JCC in collaboration with award-winning storyteller Corinne Stavish
November 1996 Weeklong tour to Phoenix, Arizona with “The Firebird”
July 1996 New production, “The Firebird” was presented at Great Lakes Regional Puppetry Festival in Columbus, Ohio
Sept.1995 PuppetART was officially registered as a Nonprofit Corporation – American Russian Theater Company
1995 “Cinderella” was brought from St. Petersburg, Russia by Natasha Khusid
1994 Premiere of “Purim Shpiel” performed in Workmen Circle, Oak Park, and later at JCC and synagogues
1993 Group met Alva Dworkin – first manager of the future PuppetART
1991-1992 First production: “How about That?”
Autumn 1990 Luda Mikheyenko, Irina Baranovskaya, and Igor Gozman met.
