A Puppet Variety show for adults!

Ithaca’s own PUPPET SLAM – the SLAM JAMBOREE will be on Sept 6 & 7 2024, 7:30pm , Community School of Music and Arts, 330 E State St, Ithaca, NY 3rd floor.

What is a SLAM? It is an evening of curated short-form puppetry acts intended for adult audiences.

There will be monsters, there will be singing, there will be fashion, and a strange box full of…well, you just have to come.

TICKETS HERE!

2024 Line-up of Performers:

The Baffo Box Light by Justin Lander of Modern Times Theater (Vermont). Justin will present a taste of what’s in the box with an excerpt from “The Baffo Box Show”, a DaDa-ist hand puppet show designed for aficionados and novice puppetry audiences alike. For those that can’t stand puppetry, Justin will also play the musical bicycle pump.

I am an Inchworm – by izaq charp – Ever wonder what life would be like if you were only one inch long? Come and see this blacklight musical extravaganza and wonder no more!

izaq began life as a balloon animal in the Ringling Brothers Circus, circa 1952. After popping a meer seven minutes into existence, izaq’s essence evanesced and was disembodied for several years. A severe séance mishap occurring exactly one century before izaq’s inception brought him paradoxically back in time and into physical being as the Colonial Governor of French Guiana’s pet iguana, Iago. izaq has subsequently been hopping from body to body, so far unsuccessfully trying to grasp some semblance of sense.

Where are we going I don’t know ask the mule by Alice Muhlback & Sandy Yahner – It’s a beautiful story about a mule named Roscoe.

Alice Muhlback is an artist that loves cardboard, line drawings and evocative simple visuals. Sandy Yahner is a jewelry artist, retired art teacher, mule and donkey owner,

Hilby The German Juggling Boy – local celebrity clown, and Lee Zimmermann of thepuppetguy.com . Details to come – but I mean, how can this go wrong?

l’heure Exquise by Matt Ocone with singing by Caitlin Mathes – “La lune blanche luit dans les bois” – “The white moon gleems in the woods…” So begins the poem of symbolist poet Paul Verlaine. This poem, set to music by Renaldo Hayn, will be sung by Caitlin Mathes with guitar accompaniment by Matthew Ocone. It will be accompanied by shadow puppetry inspired by the evocative text and music.

“Kaiju (Existential) Krisis!” by Mike “Monsta Chompa” Chen – Being a giant city-stomping monster isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I mean, what if you had monsters for parents and an ex who blasted you with a death ray? It’s enough to make a fella want to chuck a building into the ocean! Accompanied by Jeff Katris on guitar.

Object of Desire by Robin Guiver & Jen Pearcy-Edwards -Through movement and the animation of everyday objects two ordinary people quickly lose track of what is real what is not!

With hosts from Third Place Theater (Improv theater) – Mads Ziomek & Meg Peck

You can get a fancy drink at the Slam thanks to: Pop Up Bars with Open Spaces. (They donate the proceeds to the puppet theatre – amazing!) Each event bar offers a curated selection of by-the-glass ciders and wines, and a custom cocktail with a boozy and sober option. Open Spaces loves community events! They’ll pop up for music, food pairing events, gallery openings, fundraisers, community gatherings, weddings, and parties.

Featuring farmed and foraged fruit sober drinks and well produced booze from small Finger Lakes cideries and wineries. Focusing on Eve’s Cidery, Redbyrd Cider, Usonia Wine and adding a few collaborators as they go.

This program is made possible in part with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants program from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the office of the Governor and NYS Legislature, and from Tompkins County; administered by the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.