Oma says that knitting is not just pom pom hats and sweaters. Oma's knitting contains whole stories! This new family show by Shoshana Bass and Jana Zeller is an intergenerational tale that revolves around Grandma or “Oma." It is her birthday and all are preparing for the celebration. While the grown-ups manage work phone calls, playdate logistics and other such tasks, the children get into mischief with party decorating, present wrapping, cake baking. Finally they all gather around for one of Oma's stories told in yarn. One character emerges from the tangle of wool and nearly ruins the party. But not to worry, all ends well at Oma's house.

Oma is for audiences Pre-K - 4th (ages 4 - 9/10)

All shows are held at the East Lyme Community Center, 41 Society Rd, Niantic CT.

Tickets are $7 each. We accept cash, check, credit and debit cards.

***PLEASE NOTE THIS SHOW STARTS AT 3PM unlike our other shows***

OompaPossum Puppets presents the classic tale of The Three Little Pigs. This shadow puppet show is performed with a script as twisty as a pig’s tail. The Three Little Pigs prove that with hard work, collaboration and compassion, they can do anything.

45 min. Indoor performance.

Join us after the show for a free children’s paper workshop!

***DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS PRESENTATION BY TANGLEWOOD MARIONETTES WILL BE SLEEPING BEAUTY, NOT THE DRAGON KING AS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED***

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

Tickets are $7 each, CASH OR CHECK ONLY at the door.

Come one, come all, to a circus like no other! Encounter magnificent creatures from the wilds of your imagination as their quirky human caretaker tries to teach them new tricks. Kids can lend a hand to Eustice the Unicycling Unimonster, make friends with a Fiery Fanged Worm, cheer for Agnes the many-legged Acropod, and more! This colorful, silly, multi-sensory show full of friendly monsters is a perfect match for young audiences.

Show length- 40 min. plus Q&A after the show.

Tickets are $7 each, CASH ONLY at the door.

PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE TWO SEPARATE SHOWS THIS DAY!

The first show will be at noon, the second show starts at 2. Ticket pricing is for EACH show.

Humpty Dumpty is finally off the wall and back together again with all his friends! Humpty still engages in many risky tricks, but he is finally succeeding with the help of the audience. Humpty even teaches kids a few tricks they can immediately show off! Ms. Dumpty’s tricks are wackier and even more impressive and interEGGtive than Humpty’s EGGtempts. Also, don’t miss the story of The Silly Scarecrow who ends up off the farm and stuck in the city, and only learns to get along in his new and unfamiliar circumstances through the assistance of kids in the audience.

Recently, we have EGGSpanded the show and its interEGGtive EGGSperience by creating a dozen mini marionettes built to be puppeteered by those in our audience, even the youngest of members. When we lend out these puppets a "puppet party" is the culmination of the show, with kids front and center as the stars!

Tickets are $7 each person, each show, CASH ONLY at the door.

On Sunday, February 23 at 1PM, The East Lyme Puppetry Project invites families young and old to enjoy Tanglewood Marionettes’ classic fairytale “Cinderella” and to help re-stock Care and Share of East Lyme’s shelves by bringing food donations to the show. All tickets are $6.00 plus a canned good or cash donation to Care and Share.

Set in the eighteenth century and featuring a dozen lavishly costumed 30” high marionettes, this production of Cinderella unfolds as the pages of a giant book open to reveal each beautifully painted setting – the village square, the rustic kitchen, the magnificent ballroom, a GIANT PUMPKIN COACH, plus many more (some scenes even “pop” right out of the book!). All your favorite characters are here, from gentle Cinderella to the bumptious step-sisters and charming prince, and each marionette is manipulated with precision and grace. The program is perfect for families and includes both a puppetry demonstration prior to the show, and a Q and A Session following it.

Come join us at Sir George and the Dragon by Pumpernickel Puppets on Sunday! Tickets at the door are $6.00 each person.

Follow an adventurous princess as she journeys to Mystery Mountain to visit the Great Green Dragon. Along the way, meet Zelda the babysitter, a silly bat, Sir George and his clumsy dog, AND the lovable dragon. Will Sir George slay him? Not to worry, everything ends happily in this fun show. Presented with large colorful hand puppets and live voices and sound effects.

Puppetry Project Presents “I Love Tacos” by Paper Heart Puppets. All tickets are $6.00 per person

There is joy the puppet world, and for Mexico’s adorable White Nosed Coati and his amazing wildlife friends, this joy comes wrapped in a tortilla! Join the East Lyme Puppetry Project on Friday, June 21st at 1:00PM, at the East Lyme Community Center for Paper Heart Puppets’ Showcase Presentation of I Love Tacos!, a trilogy of original Mexican fun-and-folktales that celebrates both tacos and the place where they were created. Each story is packed with humor, adventure and colorful characters, so get ready for magical Qeutzal birds, taco monsters, the mystery of the volcano rabbit and his ultimate salsa and more! See you there!

Join the East Lyme Puppetry Project on Sunday, February 24 at 1:00p.m., at the East Lyme Community Center for Tanglewood Marionettes’ performance of An Arabian Adventure and help re-stock Care and Share’s shelves by bringing a food donations to the show. All tickets are $6.00 plus a canned good or cash contribution.
This year’s show has it all – comedy, drama, a swashbuckling tale set in a far off land – and a love story! The marionettes will be in full view, so the audience can see first-hand the mechanics of puppet manipulation. Replete with clever stage illusions and lighting effects,” An Arabian Adventure is action-packed and sure to delight audiences of all ages while introducing them to the magical world of puppet theater.

The 45 minutes performance is perfect for families of all ages and includes a pre-show puppet demonstration and a post-show “meet the marionettes” activity. See you there!

The East Lyme Puppetry Project (ELPPI) invites families young and old to join us for the hilarious cowboy adventure The Legend of the Banana Kid presented by Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers on Sunday, November 4 at 1:00PM at the East Lyme Community Center. Then stay for our Sock Puppet Make and Take Workshop immediately following the show. All show tickets $6.00 at the door.

Little Chucky heads into the Wild West to outwit outlaws! Armed with a fistful of bananas, he enters town on his trusty goat for a showdown with Big Bad Bart and his gang of bandits. (please note that there are no guns in this show). The Legend of the Banana Kid features 20 hand-crafted glove, mouth and rod puppets – and a slew of flying and twirling styrofoam bananas.

This year ELPPI and The Frogtown Puppeteers will also offer a 45 minute make and take sock puppet workshop for school age children immediately following the 45 minute show. Workshop size is limited to 30 children and costs $4.00 per child paid upon arrival for the 1:00 p.m. show. Parents must stay and help their children at no charge. Materials will be provided. Just bring your creativity and imagination. Call Suzanne Smith or email at suzsmith35@gmail.com.

East Lyme Puppetry Project presents The Dragon King show which is a Fundraiser for Care and Share . This show features an ancient Chinese tale of wind, water, magical dragons – and grandmothers!
This wonderful show will help re-stock East Lyme's Care and Share’s shelves. All tickets are $5.00 plus a canned good or cash donation. Food is distributed to families throughout East Lyme, Niantic and Salem.
Tanglewood Marionettes production of this Chinese undersea fantasy tells the tale of a wise Grandmother who journeys to the bottom of the sea to seek the Dragon King, and get the answers to why he has forsaken the land above. Meet colorful sea creatures and take an exciting adventure with all the visual splendor that audiences have come to expect from a Tanglewood Marionettes production. The Dragon King is a heart-warming tale that will thrill young and old alike. There will also be a lively puppetry demonstration prior to the show, and a Q and A Session following it. The show is about 45 minutes long and is perfect for families of all ages – including grandmothers! Hope to see you all there!

Join us for CactusHead Puppets' performance of The Pied Piper of Hamelin and then stay for a paper bag puppet making workshop on Sunday, November 5 at 1PM. Show tickets $5 each. Workshop is $4 per child and parents are free. See you there!

Step right up ladies, gents, boys and girls. You're invited to a spetacular hands-on out of this world puppet performance by Award Winning Dan Butterworth Marionettes' Intergalactic Circus! Puppets dance and whirl through air and right out into the audience until the whole stage becomes part of the show. Perfect for famiies with children. Demo and Q and A too. See you there!!! All tickets $5.00 at the door.

Join us on Sunday, August 14 for another great puppet show. Based on the story by Kenneth Grahame, The Reluctant Dragon by Lionheart Puppets is the story of Harold, a young village boy, who discovers a dragon living in the nearby mountains. What happens next? Can Harold convince the villagers that the dragon just wants to be friends? Suitable for families and children ages 4 – 12, The Reluctant Dragon introduces children to literary adaptations, as well as loyalty and the arts, and includes a puppet demonstration and discussion following the show. All tickets are $5.00

Join us Sunday, July 10 at 1PM, at the East Lyme Community Center, The East Lyme Puppetry Project for Sleeping Beauty by Tanglewood Marionettes. All tickets are $5.00.

Sleeping Beauty begins in King Felix’s great hall with the celebration of Princess Aurora’s birth. The party goes awry when the wicked witch arrives and curses Princess Aurora. Will the curse come true? Will someone with a “true heart” appear? You will know when you see Tanglewood Marionettes’ presentation of this best-loved tale.

The show includes a fun puppetry demonstrations where the audience learns about various forms of puppets, from simple glove puppet to sophisticated marionettes. A life-size painted storybook reveals each scene and beautiful hand-crafted marionettes are brought to life by master puppeteers as the dramatic events unfold. See you there!

The East Lyme Puppetry Project will host a Sparky’s Puppets presentation of “Aesop’s Fables” at East Lyme Community Center this Sunday. All tickets are $5.00. See a timid mouse rescue a fierce lion in “The Lion and the Mouse.” Sing along with “The Grasshopper and the Ant.” Meet “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse. “ Root for your favorite critter in “The Tortoise and the Hare,” and see what happens when a boy cries “Wolf!” one too many times. Award winning Rhode Island based puppeteer Sparky Davis retells each ancient tale with beautiful hand crafted “characters,” lively humor and plenty of audience participation in this special Father’s Day performance.

The East Lyme Puppetry Project invites families young and old to enjoy Tanglewood Marionettes’ presentation of the classic fairytale “Cinderella” and to help re-stock Care and Share of East Lyme’s shelves by bringing food donations to the show. All tickets are $5.00 plus a canned good or cash donation to Care and Share. See you there!