Center for the Puppetry Arts - Rainforest Adventures!

Prepare for a wild adventure beneath a Brazilian treetop canopy, courtesy of toucans, anacondas, sloths, and more! Playing January 23-March 4, Rainforest Adventures is an up-close look at a day in the life of animals living in one of the most amazing, mysterious places on earth.  Explorers of all ages will experience Brazilian-inspired music as they come face-to-face with more than 30 exotic plants and animals that inhabit the Amazonian ecosystem.  A mischievous howler monkey leaping from tree to tree, bats beating their wings in a glorious evening ballet, a keen-eyed harpy eagle searching for its next meal, and pink river dolphins playfully exploring the waterways create a vibrant escape to the tropics as the Amazon Rainforest comes to life!  Co-written by the Center’s Artistic Director Jon Ludwig, with Stephanie Kaskel Bogle and Raylynn Hughes, Rainforest Adventures features numerous puppets performed in a Czech Black style by puppeteers Brian Harrison, Jake Krakovsky, Emily Marsh, Tim Sweeney, and Anna Claire Walker.  As part of the Czech Black tradition, puppeteers dress in black from head to toe and manipulate puppets in a tight curtain of light in front of them, ultimately allowing them to disappear behind the light.  Hidden from sight, puppeteers are able to create dazzling, complex movements of all kinds with the puppets and props, sometimes with three or four puppeteers working together to execute a single movement.  The scenery as well as all of the puppets were designed and built by the Center, and many of the puppets were built to scale making them the same size as their counterparts in the wild.  Recommended for ages 4 and up, Rainforest Adventures is presented in the Mainstage Theater, January 23 – March 4 with reduced-price previews on January 23 and 24 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. On Sunday, January 28, Girl Scouts are invited to participate in a series of activities that will allow them to be eligible for all four STEM patches in a single day.  Scouts will explore the science of the rainforest ecosystem, technology behind puppet performances, engineering used to design some of the puppets in the Worlds of Puppetry Museum exhibits, and the math skills utilized to build a puppet in the Create-A-Puppet Workshops™.   Activities will take place from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Center for Puppetry Arts will continue its dedication to programming for patrons with ASD on Sunday, February 11, with sensory-friendly modifications to the performance as well as in the Museum and in the Create-A-Puppet Workshops™.  The Center will also provide a quiet room, social stories, noise-reducing headphones, and fidget toys for guests who need those resources.  For details, visit http://puppet.org/asd.  Regular show times are as follows: ·     Tuesday-Friday:  10 a.m. and 11:30 am.        ·     Saturday:  11 a.m. and 1 pm. ·     Sunday:  1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets are $9.75 (Members) and $19.50 (nonmembers).  The Family Series All-Inclusive Tickets include admission to the performance, Worlds of Puppetry Museum (with the largest collection of Jim Henson puppets and artifacts in the world as well as a Global Gallery), and the Create-A-Puppet Workshop™, where guests can make and perform with their own Pink River Dolphin marionette. Tickets can be purchased online at www.puppet.org or by calling 404.873.3391.

Rainforest Adventures Comes to the Center for Puppetry Arts and Take a Peek at Some Muppets!

Take a Walk on the Wild Side with Rainforest Adventures, January 29- March 15

Warm Up this Winter with a Touch of the Tropics at Center for Puppetry Arts

Prepare for a wild adventure beneath the Brazilian tree tops courtesy of toucans, anacondas, sloths, and more!

A rainforest rendition unlike any other, Rainforest Adventures, is presented January 29- March 15, 2015.  Explorers of all ages will experience traditional Brazilian-style music while coming face-to-face with more than 30 exotic plants and animals that live in the Amazonian ecosystem.  A mischievous howler monkey leaps from tree to tree, bats beat their wings in a glorious evening ballet, a keen-eyed harpy eagle searches for its next meal, and pink river dolphins playfully peruse the waterways as the jungle comes to life in this vibrant escape to the tropics.

Co-written by the Center’s Artistic Director Jon Ludwig with Stephanie Kaskel Bogle and Raylynn Hughes, Rainforest Adventures features numerous puppets performed in a Czech Black style by skilled puppeteers Brian Harrison, Reay Kaplan, Seth Langer, Amy Sweeney, and Tim Sweeney.  All of the puppets, props and scenery were created onsite by the Center for Puppetry Arts’ talented staff, and many of the puppets were built true to the scale of the animals they represent. 

Recommended for ages four and up, Rainforest Adventures is presented in the Mainstage Theater January 29–
March 15, 2015.  Half-price preview days will be offered January 27-28 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Regular show times are as follows:

·         Tuesday- Friday: 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.     

·         Saturday: 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.

·         Sunday: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Tickets include Museum admission and entrance to the Create-A-Puppet Workshop (or To-Go Kit), where children can make their own Electric Eel Ultraviolet Puppet to take home with them as a reminder of their Amazonian adventure.

OPENING WEEKEND EXTRA:  For two days ONLY (Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1), the Center will display puppets from The Song of the Cloud Forest, a special Muppet story about an endangered golden toad in the rainforest.  The special originally aired in 1989 as part of The Jim Henson Hour.  The puppets are part of the Henson family’s gift to the Center and have recently been conserved in preparation for the museum expansion that will open in late 2015.  For no additional cost, guests can get an early peek at these puppets to celebrate the opening of Rainforest Adventures.

The Center is also planning activities with the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, and Fernbank Museum of Natural History.   More details will be announced at http://puppet.org/perform/rainforestadventures.shtml.

TICKETS ARE $9.25 (MEMBERS) / $16.50 (NONMEMBERS) AND CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE AT WWW.PUPPET.ORG OR BY CALLING THE TICKET SALES OFFICE AT 404-873-3391.

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The Center for Puppetry Arts is supported in part by: Fulton County Arts Council • City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs • Georgia Council for the Arts • Zeist Foundation • The Wish Foundation Fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta • PNC •  Aetna Foundation • The Coca-Cola Foundation • Regency Suites Hotel • WSB-TV Family 2 Family Project • YP • For a complete list of the Center’s major supporters, visit www.puppet.org/about/sponsors.shtml.

Kermit and friends are getting a new home at the Center for Puppetry Arts!  The nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to the art of puppetry has broken ground on a 7,500-square foot museum expansion.  Set to be completed in 2015, the museum will feature objects from the Center’s extensive global collection and will display the world’s most comprehensive collection of Jim Henson's contributions to the world of puppetry.  The project also includes a major renovation to existing spaces, including a renovated entryway, expanded research library, and many other upgrades that will enhance the overall experience for all visitors to the Center. For more details, visit www.puppet.org/believeinmakebelieve.

Center for Puppetry Arts® is a unique cultural treasure – a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened, and entertained. Since 1978, the Center has introduced millions of visitors to the wonder and art of puppetry and has touched the lives of many through enchanting performances, curriculum-based workshops, and the hands-on Museum as well as Distance Learning and Outreach programs. Center for Puppetry Arts is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and is supported in part by contributions from corporations, foundations, government agencies, and individuals. Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. These programs are also supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Center is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre; Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA/USA/ASSITEJ); and International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY).The Center also serves as headquarters of UNIMA-USA, the American branch of Union Internationale de la Marionnette, the international puppetry organization.