Puppetmasters History: Awardwinning internationally acclaimed puppet theatre in Toronto Canada


35 years of thought-provoking, award-winning puppet theatre for adults, families and children

35 years of thought-provoking, award-winning puppet theatre for adults, families and children


Puppetmongers' aim is to explore and advance the theatrical possibilities of puppetry to promote the art by making our new and broader definition of puppetry into a widely accepted part of theatre. Our definition encompasses all objects manipulated for a theatrical purpose be they representational or nonrepresentational, including the scenic elements and live performers when used as objects. We create something never seen before, yet accessible because it is grounded within recognizable traditions. By exploring stories with meaning and placing the work in a contemporary context, we delight and engage the consciences of our audiences. We challenge our audiences' expectations of puppetry, of what they might see at the theatre, and ultimately about what life has to offer. Our desire is that our work will contribute to a humanist, supportive and accepting society.


Home About Us Performances School of Puppetry Photogallery Contact Us/Map Chronology	Puppetmongers Theatre was established in 1974 by the sister and brother Co-Artistic Director team of Ann Powell and David Powell. It is a not-for-profit incorporation and a registered charity. The company receives operating funding from the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council. Since the inception of Puppetmongers, we have been dedicated to new play development and to maintaining our repertoire of original shows, now ten in number. We create work for family audiences and children, such as Cinderella in Muddy York, a retelling of the classic fairy tale set in 19th century Canada; but we also develop work for adults, like the very successful productions of The Pirate Widow Cheng and, most recently, TERROR, both of which were nominated for two Dora awards. Puppetmongers has performed throughout Canada and the US, as well as in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Iran. Since 1990, we have been performing our Annual Holiday Tradition at the Tarragon Theatre.
The major activities of the company also include commissions and collaborations with other artists, school performances, workshops and run-outs throughout the greater Toronto area and Southern Ontario. Being senior artists, the performing arts community often approaches us as advisors, mentors, designers and builders. Puppetmongers has become an invaluable resource to educators and community groups locally and nationally. We are regularly invited to participate in national and international puppetry festivals and we are increasingly called upon as teachers of Master Classes. In 2001 Puppetmongers became the first Canadian company to be invited into a co-production with the prestigious Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia, with The Pirate Widow Cheng. The company received commissions to create work for R. Murray Schafer’s outdoor music/theatre extravaganza The Palace of the Cinnabar Phoenix, for films such as Laura Taler’s Death and the Maiden, for live music performances and documentary television, as well as projects with theatre artists and university drama departments. In the spring of 2006, Artistic Directors, Ann and David Powell worked as puppetry consultants on the Zack Helm film Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.We are recognized as leaders in the field of puppetry, having received nine Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations, two nominations for the Chalmers Award, and four Citations of Excellence from l’Union Internationale de la Marionette. In summer 2001 we were honoured with the inaugural Award for Artistic Excellence from the Puppeteers of America, Northeast Region. In 2003 we received The President’s Award for our contribution to the field of puppetry from the Puppeteers of America. Puppetmongers inspired the founding of three puppet companies – in Windsor, the UK and Belgium – and has influenced many artists across the Americas and Europe. We have been Canadian artistic ambassadors. In Iranian puppetry, there is now the "Powell Technique": puppets with handles in their backs controlled by visible manipulators. Puppetmongers founded the Toronto School of Puppetry in 1996 as a vehicle for further disseminating the history, techniques and ideas of the art form to adult learners. In the context of the School we have taught and presented many workshops including sessions with Old Trout Puppet Workshop of Calgary, directors such as Mark Cassidy (Threshold Theater) and David Craig (Roseneath Theatre), musician/composer Rick Sacks, dancer/choreographer Yvonne Ng (princess productions) and many others. In addition to this contribution to the education of our peers, we initiated Fresh Ideas in Puppetry in 2006, bringing together puppeteers from film, TV and theatre to share their innovations. Fresh Ideas is an annual interdisciplinary forum of round table discussion, demonstrations and short performances for the public that aims to facilitate cross-pollination in the arts community. Puppetmongers is one of the few Ontario puppet theatre companies of our generation that continues to grow and thrive. Attributing our artistic longevity to the leadership role we have taken in the advancement of the art-form, we prepare to launch a new set of activities in 2009/10 as a boost to the future of puppetry.

THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD From the Puppeteers of America. In 2003 we were greatly honoured to receive the President’s Award “for making an outstanding contributions to the art of Puppetry”. This medal has also been awarded to Ronnie Burkett (Tinka’s New Dress, etc), Julie Taymor (director of Lion King, etc.), Jim Hensen (Muppets) and other puppetry greats. We are very happy to be included in this august list. With Ronnie and Coad Canada, we are the third Canadian recipients. THE AWARD FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE from the Puppeteers of America, North East Region. In 2001 we were the inaugural recipients of this award, given for our “Contribution of a Body of Work to the Art of Puppetry”. CITATIONS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE ART OF PUPPETRY FROM UNIMA USA (Union International de la Marionette) 2010 Cinderella in Muddy York, directed by Sue Miner 2001 Walidad the Grass Cutter, directed by Sharon Weisbaum. 1996 Tea at the Palace, directed by Sharon Weisbaum. 1984 Bed & Breakfast, solo show created by Ann Powell. 1978 The Miller and his Wife, created by Ann and David Powell. CHALMERS CANADIAN PLAY AWARDS Short listed in the Theatre for Young Audiences category 1998 Bed & Breakfast, directed by Sue Miner. 1995 The Ballad of Tamlin directed by Sharon Weisbaum, with singer Andrea Koziol. DORA MAVOR MOORE AWARDS The Toronto Theatre Alliance nominated our work for the following awards in the Independent Theatre category 2007 Terror: Mark Cassidy for Best direction. 2007 Terror: Rick Sacks for Best Music. 2002 The Pirate Widow Cheng: Wendy White for Best Design. 2002 The Pirate Widow Cheng: Darren Copeland for Best Music. In the Theatre for Young Audiences category 2004 Bed & Breakfast, directed by Sue Miner. Best Production. 2001 Cinderella in Muddy York, directed by Sue Miner. Best Production. 2001 Cinderella in Muddy York: David Powell for Best Actor. 1998 Bed & Breakfast, directed by Sue Miner. Best Production. 1990 Tea at the Palace, directed by Sharon Weisbaum. Best Production . . . and not technicalluy an award, but pretty cool: Documentary 1994, CBC documentary "The Whimsical World Of Puppetmongers".

Puppetmongers' aim is to explore and advance the theatrical possibilities of puppetry to promote the art by making our new and broader definition of puppetry into a widely accepted part of theatre. Our definition encompasses all objects manipulated for a theatrical purpose be they representational or nonrepresentational, including the scenic elements and live performers when used as objects. We create something never seen before, yet accessible because it is grounded within recognizable traditions. By exploring stories with meaning and placing the work in a contemporary context, we delight and engage the consciences of our audiences. We challenge our audiences' expectations of puppetry, of what they might see at the theatre, and ultimately about what life has to offer. Our desire is that our work will contribute to a humanist, supportive and accepting society.

Puppetmongers Theatre was established in 1974 by the sister and brother Co-Artistic Director team of Ann Powell and David Powell. It is a not-for-profit incorporation and a registered charity. The company receives operating funding from the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council. Since the inception of Puppetmongers, we have been dedicated to new play development and to maintaining our repertoire of original shows, now ten in number. We create work for family audiences and children, such as Cinderella in Muddy York, a retelling of the classic fairy tale set in 19th century Canada; but we also develop work for adults, like the very successful productions of The Pirate Widow Cheng and, most recently, TERROR, both of which were nominated for two Dora awards. Puppetmongers has performed throughout Canada and the US, as well as in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Iran. Since 1990, we have been performing our Annual Holiday Tradition at the Tarragon Theatre.

The major activities of the company also include commissions and collaborations with other artists, school performances, workshops and run-outs throughout the greater Toronto area and Southern Ontario. Being senior artists, the performing arts community often approaches us as advisors, mentors, designers and builders. Puppetmongers has become an invaluable resource to educators and community groups locally and nationally. We are regularly invited to participate in national and international puppetry festivals and we are increasingly called upon as teachers of Master Classes.
In 2001 Puppetmongers became the first Canadian company to be invited into a co-production with the prestigious Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia, with The Pirate Widow Cheng. The company received commissions to create work for R. Murray Schafer’s outdoor music/theatre extravaganza The Palace of the Cinnabar Phoenix, for films such as Laura Taler’s Death and the Maiden, for live music performances and documentary television, as well as projects with theatre artists and university drama departments. In the spring of 2006, Artistic Directors, Ann and David Powell worked as puppetry consultants on the Zack Helm film Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.We are recognized as leaders in the field of puppetry, having received nine Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations, two nominations for the Chalmers Award, and four Citations of Excellence from l’Union Internationale de la Marionette. In summer 2001 we were honoured with the inaugural Award for Artistic Excellence from the Puppeteers of America, Northeast Region. In 2003 we received The President’s Award for our contribution to the field of puppetry from the Puppeteers of America. Puppetmongers inspired the founding of three puppet companies – in Windsor, the UK and Belgium – and has influenced many artists across the Americas and Europe. We have been Canadian artistic ambassadors. In Iranian puppetry, there is now the "Powell Technique": puppets with handles in their backs controlled by visible manipulators.

Puppetmongers founded the Toronto School of Puppetry in 1996 as a vehicle for further disseminating the history, techniques and ideas of the art form to adult learners. In the context of the School we have taught and presented many workshops including sessions with Old Trout Puppet Workshop of Calgary, directors such as Mark Cassidy (Threshold Theater) and David Craig (Roseneath Theatre), musician/composer Rick Sacks, dancer/choreographer Yvonne Ng (princess productions) and many others. In addition to this contribution to the education of our peers, we initiated Fresh Ideas in Puppetry in 2006, bringing together puppeteers from film, TV and theatre to share their innovations. Fresh Ideas is an annual interdisciplinary forum of round table discussion, demonstrations and short performances for the public that aims to facilitate cross-pollination in the arts community. Puppetmongers is one of the few Ontario puppet theatre companies of our generation that continues to grow and thrive. Attributing our artistic longevity to the leadership role we have taken in the advancement of the art-form, we prepare to launch a new set of activities in 2009/10 as a boost to the future of puppetry.

THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD From the Puppeteers of America. In 2003 we were greatly honoured to receive the President’s Award “for making an outstanding contributions to the art of Puppetry”. This medal has also been awarded to Ronnie Burkett (Tinka’s New Dress, etc), Julie Taymor (director of Lion King, etc.), Jim Hensen (Muppets) and other puppetry greats. We are very happy to be included in this august list. With Ronnie and Coad Canada, we are the third Canadian recipients.

THE AWARD FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE from the Puppeteers of America, North East Region. In 2001 we were the inaugural recipients of this award, given for our “Contribution of a Body of Work to the Art of Puppetry”.

CITATIONS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE ART OF PUPPETRY FROM UNIMA USA (Union International de la Marionette)
2010 Cinderella in Muddy York, directed by Sue Miner
2001 Walidad the Grass Cutter, directed by Sharon Weisbaum.
1996 Tea at the Palace, directed by Sharon Weisbaum.
1984 Bed & Breakfast, solo show created by Ann Powell.
1978 The Miller and his Wife, created by Ann and David Powell.

CHALMERS CANADIAN PLAY AWARDS
Short listed in the Theatre for Young Audiences category
1998 Bed & Breakfast, directed by Sue Miner.
1995 The Ballad of Tamlin directed by Sharon Weisbaum, with singer Andrea Koziol.

DORA MAVOR MOORE AWARDS

The Toronto Theatre Alliance nominated our work for the following awards in the Independent Theatre category
2007 Terror: Mark Cassidy for Best direction.

2007 Terror: Rick Sacks for Best Music.

2002 The Pirate Widow Cheng: Wendy White for Best Design.
2002 The Pirate Widow Cheng: Darren Copeland for Best Music.

In the Theatre for Young Audiences category
2004 Bed & Breakfast, directed by Sue Miner. Best Production.
2001 Cinderella in Muddy York, directed by Sue Miner. Best Production.
2001 Cinderella in Muddy York: David Powell for Best Actor.
1998 Bed & Breakfast, directed by Sue Miner. Best Production.
1990 Tea at the Palace, directed by Sharon Weisbaum. Best Production

. . . and not technicalluy an award, but pretty cool:

Documentary

1994, CBC documentary "The Whimsical World Of Puppetmongers".