Tickets are available for $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
Pay-what-you-can tickets are available.
The German Forum for Puppetry Arts (FIDENA) brings the diverse world of puppet theatre to life in an interactive virtual reality exhibition.
Equipped with virtual reality headsets, visitors of “Puppets 4.0: Museum without Walls” spend 20 minutes exploring five digital rooms, immersing themselves with Fritz Wortelmann’s puppet collection.
The former founder of the German Institute for Puppetry is part of the virtual exhibition himself as an animated figure, he provides useful information and introduces visitors to the virtual environment. Visitors learn interesting facts about the history, development and forms of puppetry and experience fascinating exhibits from different countries in action.
Recommended for Ages 12+
Learn more about The German Forum for Puppetry Arts
Join us for a conversation between Marieke Gaubitz from FIDENA's Documentation and Research Center and a U.S. based puppet exhibit curator, moderated by John Farrell, Artistic Director of Freeport, Maine-based Figures of Speech Theatre.
Recommended for Ages 16+
Free Admission
The presentation of “Puppets 4.0” at Puppets in Portland is made possible by The Goethe-Institut Boston and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany based in Boston and in partnership with the Portland Museum of Art.
The Goethe-Institut Boston is a German cultural organization that fosters international cultural exchange and dialogue with Germany. Their cultural department presents over 150 cultural events annually. Goethe-Institut Boston brings international artists and experts to New England conversations and present a wide variety of events including performances, exhibitions, film screenings, and panel discussions. Their Studio 170 for Artists programs provide unique artist residency and travel stipend opportunities for New England artists of all disciplines.
What can you expect?
A virtual curtain falls: Welcome to the forest! Here you will meet puppets from Fritz Wortelmann’s lifetime. Starting with his own hand puppet theatre, followed by the propaganda puppet theatre of the Nazi era, and ending with the artistically designed hand puppets of Lore Lafin, which are experimental and far ahead of their time.
Next, the path leads from nature to the city: In the second room, you find yourself amidst a medieval market. Here we learn about the different ways in which the comic figure is played all over Europe. Kasper and his international relatives from Italy, England and Turkey invite visitors to linger and enjoy the atmosphere.
Under a starry night sky in the third room, you can stroll through an Indonesian bazaar in front of a temple. Here we learn all about wayang, the traditional shadow, puppet and mask play of Indonesia.
The fourth room continues with a visit to a temple. The sacred atmosphere underlines the importance of religious contexts for numerous puppetry traditions of Japan, China and Myanmar. At the same time, a spiritual dimension is opened which contrasts with the previous rooms and exhibits.
The last room is in the research center of the German Forum for Puppetry Arts in Bochum, to familiarize you with FIDENA and gradually return to the real world. But before they do, you can meet here the spectacular shadow figures of the Australian artist Richard Bradshaw, or the knights of the Sicilian Opera dei Pupi.
BOX OFFICE
Puppets in Portland tickets are available through PortTIX, the trusted box office for Mayo Street Arts!
Online: www.porttix.com
Phone: 207-842-0800
Advanced ticket sales end two hours before each event.
Tickets may also be purchased at the door, pending availability.
PAY WHAT YOU CAN
No one will be turned away from PiP events for lack of funds.
ACCESSIBILITY
The Portland Museum of Art is fully barrier-free. It provides accessible entrances on the High Street side, wheelchair-friendly elevators/lifts connecting all galleries, and accessible restrooms. Visitors can also take advantage of accessible parking and drop-off zones directly in front of the building on Free Street.
If you would benefit from additional information or accommodations, we invite you to contact us at pip@mayostreetarts.org or 207-879-4629.
EVENT PARKING
Paid on-street parking can be found on the surrounding streets.
Two garages are located within a five-minute walk:
Spring Street Garage (45 Spring Street)
Holiday Inn By the Bay (40 Spring Street)
Portland Museum of Art is served by stops on Metro routes 1, 7, 9, Husky Line, and Metro BREEZ within a short walking distance of the venue. Click here to learn more.
SEATING POLICY
We will save your reserved seat until showtime, at which point any unclaimed seats may be offered to other people. Please call our box office at 207-879-4629 if you are running late.
COMMUNITY HEALTH
Audience members — in addition to artists, staff & volunteers — who feel sick or exhibit symptoms of illness should stay home out of respect for others.
CANCELATION POLICY
PiP has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that PiP is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via PortTIX.