Workshops
Jacek Zuzanski, Dream Tale Puppets’ founder and artistic director, has devoted himself as much to creating theatre as to teaching acting and theatre throughout his professional life. Dream Tale Puppets’ other ensemble members share Jacek’s passion for working with grown ups, youth, and children, and professional and aspiring actors interested in developing their skills. They are also experienced teachers of acting and theatre.
Dream Tale Puppets offers a number of workshop formats for variety of students
This workshop can be requested as an addition to selected shows, introducing participants either to construction and acting with varied kinds of puppets or to foundational puppet-building skills through hands-on construction of simple puppets. Content, length, and format depend on the size and age range of the group.
- Great for library and school programs
- Typical duration: One-time, from half an hour to two hours
Usually organized in cooperation with Cape Cod or Greater Boston area culture centers, these programs offer a variety of theatrical experiences. Sometimes they focus on designing and building, other times on developing acting skills or playwriting. No matter the focus, participants work as a team, usually creating a final production based on adapted folk tales or children’s literature, original writing, or material developed with or by the participants. Check back here regularly or subscribe to our mailing list for more information.
- Usually for children ages 7-12
Usually runs for one to two weeks (four to ten sessions)
During these customized and intensive workshops, participants develop varied theatrical and creative skills. If desired, these workshops may be designed to culminate in the production/presentation of a puppet show. The schedule, size of the group, participant age range, content, format and involvement of Dream Tale Puppets artists will be determined in consultation with the host. Dream Tale Puppets can work with your group or join your team as consultants, directors, builders, and/or teachers.
- For schools, after school programs, colleges and culture centers; great for mixed age groups, ages ten to adult
- Runs two days or more
This workshop covers a variety of puppetry techniques and styles and introduces simple puppet building techniques that teachers can share with their students. Participants will also study the principles of acting with puppets and will learn approaches to developing and clarifying the expression of puppet characters and to fostering cooperation between students.
- For educators interested in incorporating puppetry in the classroom
Suggested duration: Three hours to one day
Every once in a while, we organize workshops for actors interested in learning to act with puppets. These workshops include training in traditional puppetry techniques as well as in original techniques that Dream Tale Puppets has developed, including our combination of live and stylized acting, acting in mask, and acting with puppets. Contact us if interested.
- Great for both experienced and budding actors.
- Usually two to six sessions in row or once a week
One of our most recent initiatives, this program is structured around one-on-one acting and acting with puppets training sessions with Dream Tale Puppets’ artistic director, alternating with small group workshops. Contact us if interested.
- Geared toward those interested in working with us.
- Scheduled according to demand
These workshops may be organized in conjunction with a show or may be organized independently. Possible topics include building puppets, acting with puppets, and building “toy theater” style cardboard puppet theaters.
- Perfect for grown-ups to share creative experiences with children or to learn puppetry to play with their children
- Generally between one and three hours long
During the Covid-19 pandemic, we moved our rehearsals online and onto the phone line. As we navigated this very new and peculiar experience, we realized that the techniques we had developed could form a foundation for online workshops.
- Stay tuned.
Some of Earlier Completed Workshops
Summer Classes at Falmouth Academy
Discovering the
Secrets of Life
More Vacation Workshops
Acting with Table Top Puppets
After the Show Short Workshops
Every theatrical production provides an abundance of learning opportunities. Acting or theatrical workshops and classes in designing and building puppets are filled with creativity. These workshops or classes often include experimentation, where both teacher and students learn and gain experience. They also often lead to productions and presentations. Theatrical creative processes that do not aim to produce a presentation serve as a medium of self discovery, allowing participants to explore models of creative cooperation and to study and experience the relationships between imagination and reality, actions and outcomes. They reveal links between articulation and communication, attention and vitality, values and identities. Theatrical experience creates a safe and supportive environment where we overcome our limitations, develop skills, broaden our understanding, enjoy discoveries and creative adventures, connect with others, and learn about ourselves and about the ways the world around us operates.
