Our Shows
Tanglewood Marionettes offers seven different show titles, all of which are available for scheduling throughout the year. Whether you are looking for a classic fairy tale, a Greek myth, a story from another culture, or a puppet circus extravaganza –Tanglewood Marionettes has a show for you!
Our shows are geared primarily towards children in grades K-6. Most of our titles are great for a wide range of ages, but some shows work best with a younger audience, while others are perfect for older students. You will find specific age-level recommendations with the individual show descriptions. Classroom-tested study guides are available for each title.
We also offer a one-of-a-kind marionette manipulation workshop, perfect for ages 8 and up!
All of our shows can be presented live (in person!), or virtually (in spirit!). For more information about our In Spirit Programs, please see our video here: https://vimeo.com/459198233
THE FAIRY CIRCUS
Featuring over twenty beautifully hand-crafted marionettes, The Fairy Circus is a showcase for turn-of-the-century-style trick puppetry. The puppets will dance, play instruments, juggle, contort, transform, and fly through the air with the greatest of ease, all to the best-loved music of favorite composers. This title is perfect for younger children and family audiences.
The Fairy Circus is performed by a solo puppeteer. The presentation includes a lively puppetry demonstration prior to the show, and a Question and Answer session following the performance.
Running time: 40 minutes
Recommended grade levels: Appropriate for pre-K - 6; best for pre-K - 2 (More about recommended age-levels)
Maximum recommended audience size: 250
CINDERELLA
Set in the eighteenth century and featuring a dozen lavishly costumed 30” marionettes, this production of Cinderella is a Tanglewood Marionettes showpiece. The story unfolds as the pages of a giant book open to reveal each beautifully painted setting – the village square, the rustic kitchen, the magnificent ballroom, plus many more. All your favorite characters are here, from gentle Cinderella to the bumptious stepsisters and the charming Prince, and each marionette is manipulated with precision and grace by our talented puppeteers.
Our telling is based on the original beloved tale, but we do offer a few new surprises: Cinderella’s conveyance to the ball is NOT the traditional horse-drawn coach, and, when all hope seems lost, a clever little bluebird saves the day! A classic fairy tale told with wit and style, Cinderella is sure to please audiences of all ages.
Running time: 45 minutes
Recommended grade levels: Appropriate for preK - 6 (More about recommended age-levels)
Maximum recommended audience size: 300
HANSEL AND GRETEL
Hansel and Gretel is based on the classic fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, and features melodies from the Humperdinck opera. The colorful set is in the shape of a giant story book; as the pages turn, each new and exciting scene is revealed. All the staging, scenery, and marionettes are handcrafted by Tanglewood Marionettes and together represent over a year of construction time.
The story itself is set in the mid-nineteenth century. As the tale unfolds, Hansel and Gretel must call upon their inner reserves and learn new methods to overcome the challenges they encounter while lost in the wood.
Running time: 45 minutes
Recommended grade levels: Appropriate for K - 6; best for 1 - 6 (More about recommended age-levels)
Maximum recommended audience size: 300
AN ARABIAN ADVENTURE
A swashbuckling tale set in exotic lands and featuring our signature story book backdrop, An Arabian Adventure tells the tale of a prince who is thrown into a dungeon because of his love for a beautiful princess. Facing danger at every turn, the courageous prince must use his wits to escape his prison, defeat the diabolical Vizier, and save the princess from a tragic fate.
Replete with clever stage illusions and lighting effects, An Arabian Adventure is a fast-paced, action-packed drama that is especially good for older children.
Running time: 40 minutes
Recommended grade levels: Appropriate for 1 - 6; best for 3 - 6 (More about recommended age-levels)
Maximum recommended audience size: 250
THE DRAGON KING
A terrible drought has overtaken the land, and all the world has turned brown and lifeless. The Dragon King is ruler over all things water, and the people are beginning to wonder why he has not brought the life-giving rains in such a very long time.
An underwater fantasy based on Chinese folklore, The Dragon King tells the tale of an intrepid Grandmother who journeys to the bottom of the sea in search of the elusive Dragon King, and the answers to why he has forsaken the land above.
Colorful sea creatures, an exciting adventure, and a Dragon King that will knock your socks off! All this and more can be found in this award-winning production.
Running time: 50 minutes
Recommended grade levels: Appropriate for preK - 6 (More about recommended age-levels)
Maximum recommended audience size: 300
PERSEUS AND MEDUSA
Take a trip back in time to the dawn of civilization, to an ancient world of gods, goddesses, prophecies and heroes. In this masterful production, you will accompany Perseus through personal trials and glorious quests. A lavish show featuring beautiful, hand-crafted marionettes, scrolling sets, exotic music and much, much more. The ancient world has never been so accessible!
Running time: 50 minutes
Recommended grade levels: Appropriate for 1 - 8; best for 3 - 8 (More about recommended age-levels)
Maximum recommended audience size: 300
SLEEPING BEAUTY
A charming tale which appeals especially to younger children, Sleeping Beauty begins in King Felix’s great hall where guests from across the land have gathered to celebrate the birth of Princess Aurora. The party goes awry when the wicked witch arrives and curses the baby princess. Will the curse come true? Will someone with a "true heart" appear? You will know when you see Tanglewood Marionettes’ presentation of this beloved classic.
In this retelling, a painted story book opens to reveal each scene. Beautifully hand-crafted marionettes are brought to life by a master puppeteer as the dramatic events unfold.
Running time: 40 minutes
Recommended grade levels: Appropriate for pre-K - 4; best for pre-K - 2 (More about recommended age-levels)
Maximum recommended audience size: 250
PUPPET MANIPULATION WORKSHOP
Our master puppeteers will discuss some of the construction and stringing techniques used when building marionettes, and then demonstrate the basics of marionette manipulation. Participants will be provided with marionettes for the duration of the workshop. Each puppet has been handmade by Tanglewood Marionettes artisans, and has been left uncostumed and unpainted to showcase the construction and joining techniques that go into the craft of marionette creation. Participants will experience what it is like to work a professional-quality marionette that has been balanced and tuned like a fine instrument. The marionettes are short-strung to allow the participants to work them at floor-level.
The first part of the workshop concentrates on mechanics – which strings go where, how to hold the control, how to isolate, etc. – and basic movements. As the workshop progresses, more complex movements are introduced. The participants are encouraged to act out these compound movements themselves to gain a fuller understanding of the physics involved before attempting them with their puppets. The fun finale of the workshop is a "Simon Says" type game where participants challenge themselves and each other to implement what they have learned over the course of the workshop. Besides mechanical challenges – e.g. "make your puppet dance a jig", or "make your puppet do a push-up" – participants are encouraged to attempt challenges that involve emotions – e.g. "make your puppet have a tantrum", or "make your puppet celebrate a win". As with the mechanical challenges, participants are asked to look inward to parse how they express their own emotions before trying them out with their puppets.
The Puppet Manipulation Workshop is offered in conjunction with a performance, on the same day and at the same location. If a sponsor wishes to offer the workshop without the performance, a minimum of three workshops must be scheduled for the same day, and at the same (or nearby) location.
Workshop length: 45 minutes
Recommended age level: 8 years old and up (the marionettes are too complex for children under the age of 8)
Maximum number of participants per workshop: 25