Catapult Artist Intensive
The Catapult: For Practicing Artists of all Disciplines
The Catapult Artist Intensive returns with two professional development weekends designed to advance the form and expand understanding of the field of puppetry in the United States. Each weekend, practicing artists of all disciplines are taken on a three-day, curated, guided experience of festival programming. Join an intimate cohort, escorted by a professional leader, for discussions, a performance workshop, backstage access to the shows and more. Each immersive weekend includes eight performances, with symposiums and local transportation. Registration is $595 per weekend, including some meals. Limited capacity. Scholarships available. No application required. Hotel is not included in the price, but hotel discount is available at Warwick Allerton Hotel with discount code.
Program Details
Ages: 18 and up
Who: Artists from any discipline and those seeking to deepen their puppetry experience
When:
Weekend 1
Friday, January 19 at 2 pm through Sunday, January 21 at 5 pm
Weekend 2
Friday, January 26 at 2 pm through Sunday, January 28 at 5 pm
Location & Transportation: Cohort travels together to venues throughout Chicago. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to/from airport as needed.
Cost: $595 ($250 deposit due upon registration, $345 remaining balance due before January 6, 2023)
Lodging: Hotel discount code available to participants so they can get a low rate which they book and pay for themselves– Warwick Allerton Hotel with code PUPPETFEST24
For more information please email: info@chicagopuppetfest.org
Session I Schedule
Friday, January 19 at 2 pm through Sunday, January 21 at 5 pm
Led by Samuel J. Lewis II (read bio below)
Schedule
*This schedule has been updated as of January 12, and now includes Tears by the River rather than Nasty, Brutish and Short on Saturday 1/20.
Friday, January 19:
- 2:00pm: Orientation and Skill Share
- 5:00pm: Book Talk with Author Colette Searls
- 6:15pm: Shared meal
- 7:30pm: Performance of A Bucket of Beetles by Papermoon Puppet Theatre
- 9:00pm: Performance of Spleen by Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel
- 10:30pm: Performance of Nasty, Brutish & Short, late-night puppet cabaret
Saturday, January 20:
- 10:00am: Symposium: Panel 1 – Mechanisms
- 12:00pm: Shared Meal
- 2:00pm: Performance of The Beast Dance (or The Secret Spell of the Wild) by La Liga Teatro Elástico
- 4:00pm: Performance of Tears by the River by Krystal Puppeteers
- 7:00pm: Performance of The Immortal Jellyfish Girl by Wakka Wakka
- 9:30pm: Performance of Animal R.I.O.T. by Wakka Wakka
Sunday, January 21:
- 1:00pm: Performance of The Hip Hopera of 5P1N0K10 by Tarish “Jeghetto” Pipkins
- 2:30pm: Shared Meal
- 5:00pm: Performance of Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities: A Toy Theater Atlas by Matthew Gawryk & Dan Kerr-Hobert
Session II Schedule
Friday, January 26 at 2 pm through Sunday, January 28 at 5 pm
Led by Grace Needlman (read bio below)
Schedule
*This schedule has been updated as of January 25, and now does not include Nasty, Brutish and Short on Saturday 1/26.
Friday, January 26:
- 2:00pm: Orientation and Skill Share
- 4:30pm: Book Talk with Author Dr. Claudia Orenstein
- 5:45pm: Shared meal
- 7:00pm: Performance of Chayka by Belova ~ Iacobelli Theatre Company
- 9:00pm: Performance of Krabat by Figurentheater Wilde & Vogel and Grupa Coincidentia
Saturday, January 27:
- 10:00am: Symposium: Panel 3 – Manipulation
- 12:15pm: Shared Meal
- 2:00pm: Performance of Tears by the River by Krystal Puppeteers
- 4:00pm: Performance of Lunch with Sonia by Loco7 Dance Puppet Theater
- 7:30pm: Performance of Little Carl by Theatre Y and Michael Montenegro
- 10:30pm: Performance of Nasty, Brutish & Short, late-night puppet cabaret
Sunday, January 28:
- 10:00am: Symposium: Panel 4 – Construction Techniques
- 12:15pm: Shared Meal
- 1:00pm: Performance of Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster by Manual Cinema
- 3:00pm: Performance of Book of Mountain and Seas by Basil Twist
Lead Artists
Samuel J. Lewis II
Sam is an accidental puppeteer who now tries to create intentional work. He has worked for over a decade with a vintage Black Americana marionette, he reimagined as, “Jus Hambone.” Currently, he’s building new puppets for the first time, with the generous help of Grace Needlman of Wonder Wagon, for a long-form piece he’s creating based on newly discovered family history, tentatively titled, Everybody Knew Their Place.
Grace Needlman
Grace Needlman (they/she) is excited to join the Chicago International Puppet Festival team as the Chicago Puppet Lab Coordinator. As a cultural worker and puppet designer, Grace explores collective imagination and is committed to creating equitable pathways for Chicago artists. Grace’s puppet designs appear on stages across Chicago, and they are a company member at Rough House. Grace also works as Manager of Studio Programs at Mawen and publishes and presents on youth agency, collaboration, and queering museums. Grace holds a BA in fine art from Yale University and an MA in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths University of London.