January 2019 Puppet Show

For a third time in less than a year, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Neighborhood Tour hosted a puppet show at Sweet Water Foundation. On January 18th, 2019, SWF welcomed more than 25 people to the Lightbox Theater + Gallery located in SWF’s Thought Barn for an international puppet show. This event was not only the first performance at The Commons in 2019, but also the inaugural, public art performance in the Lightbox Theater + Gallery.  Read on to learn more about the international experience and the preparation leading up to it.

Preparing the Lightbox Theater + Gallery for an International Performance

In the fall of 2018, the Thought Barn was enclosed so that the space could be used as a year-round performance space. Since November, the space has been used for meetings, dance practices, and small performances, but had yet to be featured as part of a public arts performance. In the days leading up to the event, the SWF team prepared the Lightbox Theater + Gallery for the show, transforming the theater into a cozy and well lit space for the performance despite the snow and cold weather outside.

Puppeteers from Puerto Rico and Italy were flown into Chicago and welcomed at The Commons and other spaces across the city. One puppeteer presented a hand-puppet show, telling a story with small, hand controlled characters. The characters of the second group were the opposite of small hand-puppets. The puppeteers wore large, colorful, foam costumes that intrigued and mesmerized the audience. The Lightbox Theater + Gallery was the perfect space for the performance as they danced and twirled around for a unique performance.

The entire Sweet Water Foundation team would like to thank volunteers and staff from the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Neighborhood Tour and the wonderful audience for another memorable show. Information about future events to come!