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puppetry programs

Young Audiences of Houston offers diverse arts-in-education performance programming for PK-12 participants in an assembly setting. These innovative and culturally diverse programs introduce participants to the arts through a balance of demonstration and participant interaction through the highest quality artistry. Each performance program is aligned with the Texas state curricula and offers curriculum ties, classroom activities and discussion ideas, extension activities, program goals, objectives, vocabulary words, and teacher resources. All performances are 45 minutes.

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Below you'll find information about:

  • Performances: For an assembly, performances introduce participants to an art form or culture through a balance of demonstration and interaction.

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  • Workshops: Hands-on workshops bring together individual artists to encourage participants to actively discover their own artistic potential. Ideal for after-school, library, or community center programs. Most workshops are product based.

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  • Residencies: Offer experiences implemented by a specialized teaching artist. Residencies are multiple, participatory workshops and require a minimum of 3 sequential sessions per participant group, and can be expanded into semester-long projects. Residencies take place in partnership with the classroom teacher and either focus on arts-integration or the artistic process.

 

For more information please call 713.520.9264 or email us at scheduling@yahouston.org.​

 

 

Jean Kuecher

Aladdin, Rumpelstiltskin or Sleeping Beauty

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PERFORMANCE

Jean Kuecher

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Choose your favorite classic fairy tale to dazzle all ages, in a performance with marionettes in sparkling costumes on an elaborate stage with lighting, scenery, and curtains. Following the performance, master puppeteer Jean Kuecher reveals the special effects and backstage secrets. In every story, participants identify with the main character and discover solutions to the problem. They also learn reading components as they identify main character, setting, plot, problem, and solution. 

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Touring 2024

Single Performance

$580

Back to Back Performance

$800

Participant Limit

200

Grade Levels

PK-8

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Twas The Night Before Christmas

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PERFORMANCE

Jean Kuecher

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"Twas The Night Before Christmas” combines puppetry, poetry, dialogue, and music to create a Christmas fantasy. The show opens in Santa’s North Pole workshop where we meet Santa, Mrs. Claus, the elves, and Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer. The sleigh travels to a snowy forest for scene two, where Rudolph’s nose has become frozen in the snowstorm. The lovely Snow Queen comes to help Santa with a wonderful way to warm Rudolph’s nose. Then the sleigh continues to a family home where Santa leaves gifts under the Christmas tree.

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Touring 2024

Single Performance

$580

Back to Back Performance

$800

Participant Limit

200

Grade Levels

PK-8

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Puppet Show with Stage

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PERFORMANCE

Mr. Leo's Puppet Show

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Join Mr. Leo as he brings any one of his storytime puppet performances! Mr. Leo will bring his puppet friends and tell stories that range from a girl learning to overcome her fear of monsters, to a young boy learning that you don’t need powers to be a hero! 
 

All of Mr. Leo’s storytime performances can be provided in both English and Spanish!

 

Stories offered: 

 

The Street of the Monster - María is a girl who gets scared of everything, even the wind. One day she encounters a monster and tells her friend Tommy. Tommy decides to catch the monster but he discovers something unexpected… Are monsters even real?

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The Adventure of Lucy and Lucas - The story of two kids who can’t decide what game to play, their decision takes them on an incredible adventure with magical characters.

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The Super Heroes - The story of two birds pretending to be superheroes, they are visited by famous heroes and villains and learn that to be a superhero they do not need powers, only kindness, love, and confidence.

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Valeria the Hunter - Valeria wants to become the best huntress but finds herself stuck in quicksand, she must turn to the animals she wanted to hunt for help and learns the importance of the environment and the part animals play.

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Dragons Tremble - The tale of Princess Elizabeth and her quest to save her boyfriend Prince Ronaldo from the clutches of a dragon.

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The Kingdom of the Flowers - The story of a princess working to get back her flowers from an evil witch!

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I Want a Pet - It’s Sophie’s birthday and her parents told her she could have a pet, but she’s so excited, she can’t choose! Kids, will you help me find a pet?

 

The Star and the Bear - A magical story between two friends who enjoy simple things and like to discover new things together.

 

Crispen the Dragon - A dragon who doesn’t spit fire, but instead bubbles and more surprises. He’s very intelligent and loves to teach children

Single Performance

$500

Back to Back Performance

$900

Participant Limit

150

Grade Levels

PK-4

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Variety Puppet Show

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PERFORMANCE

Mr. Leo's Puppet Show

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Join Mr. Leo and all his puppet pals, animals, and marionettes for this entertaining and interactive performance! Participants will have a blast joining Mr. Leo and his puppet pal Tommy in dancing, playing, and singing!

Single Performance

$440

Back to Back Performance

$750

Participant Limit

200

Grade Levels

PK-4

Puppet Pizzazz

Rhyme, Reason and Shadow Puppetry

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PERFORMANCE

Puppet Pizzazz

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Mother Goose and other familiar favorites are illustrated with exciting giant shadow puppet action. The enthusiasm of the puppeteer, Mr. Greg, is contagious as he encourages the audience to recite classic rhymes, sing, move creatively, and act out famous storybook characters. This highly participatory performance promotes literacy and enhances verbal communication skills while developing a passion for reading and an appreciation for poetry.

Single Performance

$490

Back to Back Performance

$820

Participant Limit

300

Grade Levels

PK-2

Puppet Pizzazz

Sharing the Secrets of Puppetry

PERFORMANCE

Puppet Pizzazz

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Professional puppeteer Greg Ruhe enthusiastically shares the ancient art of puppetry by demonstrating a variety of styles of puppets in a highly theatrical performance. Mr. Greg shares the secrets of making and manipulating many of his unique characters. It is guaranteed that the audience will walk away filled with an appreciation and enthusiasm for the art of puppetry. The audience will learn how to turn trash into treasure as Mr. Greg shares ideas on making puppets from recycled materials. This Puppet Extravaganza includes storytelling along with hand puppets, shadow puppets, recycled material puppets, and marionettes. Puppet Pizzazz is best known for its giant puppet creations. The show is not over until an eight-foot tall surprise character takes center stage.

Single Performance

$490

Back to Back Performance

$820

Participant Limit

300

Grade Levels

PK-12

Puppet Pizzazz

Shadow Puppetry Workshop 

WORKSHOP & RESIDENCY

Puppet Pizzazz

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Included in this hands-on workshop, Puppeteer Mr. Greg, shares the origin of
shadow puppetry by demonstrating with puppets, he has created and collected
from around the world. The participants will learn to make and perform their own puppets constructed with easy-to-gather school supplies. Teachers and participants will be encouraged to further explore the world of shadow puppetry for classroom projects, the stage, or fun at home.

Per-Session Fee

$115 per 45-min. session; $125 per 60-min. session

2+ Sessions, Same Day

$95 per 45-min. session; $115 per 60-min. session

Participant Limit

30

Grade Levels

K-12

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