Hinterhands Puppet Company aims to create intimate performance and arts education experiences, inviting people to reflect deeply on relationship to each other, to place and to spirit. Hinterlands translates into and refers to “the lands behind.” Hinterhands refers to the seen or unseen hands behind the puppet, behind the mystery of creating, hinting at something alive.
Wish Work Puppet Series
Wish Work, a program of Hinterhands Puppet Company, is puppet theatre for young audiences focused on telling stories working toward making the world the way we wish it to be. Performances will be held on Saturday mornings from 10:30AM-11:30AM. Each month will have a new show with a suggested donation of $5-$10 per person. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Scroll down for upcoming performances.
Performances are held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church 2742 15th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407.
We wish to do the work of hammering the stardust of our world into puppet performances and workshops for young audiences, inspiring them to shape the stardust they are given into their wishes for the future.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts
Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Star Turtle
By Z Puppets Rosenschnoz
October 21 from 10:30AM-11:30AM
Join Turtle & Wabbit for a musical adventure into the Cherokee language.
Race through time and space with Dagsi Turtle & Jisdu Wabbit on their quest to help Grandmother Turtle.
Sing along and you, too, will help keep alive the Cherokee language!
This live performance by award-winning performers of Z Puppets Rosenschnoz, Chris Griffith (Cherokee Nation) and Shari Aronson also includes a sneak peek of their Star Turtle web series, nominated for “Best Family Series” and “Best Web Series” by Minnesota WebFest.
Recommended for ages 4+
The Playground Adventures of Miss Rosie Jones
By Felicia Cooper
October 28 from 10:30AM-11:30AM
Rosie Jones is a young girl whose imagination keeps getting away from her- and she trains it to come back! Along the way, Rosie asks questions of the built environment and learns about how the world works by building with simple machines. Join this new puppet adventures on the puppet playground created by puppeteer Felicia Cooper.
The Box King
By Seth Eberle
November 4 from 10:30AM-11:30AM
Told with hand carved marionettes and a transforming cardboard box, The Box King is a family show following two kingdoms.
One with a queen and a kingdom that is clean and very well organized. One with a king and a kingdom that is incredibly forgetful but full of the happiest people you will ever meet.
These two kingdoms are joined together through the marriage of their leaders. But, what happens when the king loses the queen and cannot remember who anyone is any longer? Is putting everything and everyone into boxes the way to keep things organized, or is there more to an organized kingdom?
Puppet Camp OUT
Through a series of 15 workshops from October 2022 – May 2023, up to ten participants will learn several forms of small-scale puppetry, explore telling their stories using puppetry and create a collaborative performance with this exploration.
The project will be led by Bart Buch, hinterhands’ Artistic Director and a queer puppet artist with 25 years of experience. Seth Eberle, a queer puppet artist, will also be a lead artist on the project. Seth and Bart will be working with a team of other puppet artists and queer artists from other disciplines.
Of the program participants, youth will be 14-20 years old and adults will be 60+ years old. For the pilot of this program, we are keeping the participant number low to establish a successful process that is responsible to the artists and participants.
Throughout the workshops, participants will develop their own story, get to know each other’s stories, learn puppet forms, receive mentorship from queer artists and puppet artists, and develop one short collaborative puppetry piece together.
Workshops will happen at Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts, 2742 15th Ave. S. in Minneapolis.
Download the Application (word doc)
The Puppet Camp OUT Application is due September 26.
Please fill out and send to [email protected]
Recent Shows
The Three Little Pigs and Other Puppet Fun
February 18
1PM-2PM
By Scott Sorenson and Guest Community Members
See the classic story of the Three Little Pigs, a show about families, and some fun balloon surprises. How will the pigs stop the Big Bad Wolf? What makes up a family? And what’s with all the balloons! Come for lots of puppet fun!
With Stars Above
November 19
Directed, created, and produced by Seth Eberle
Written by Claudia Hankin
Music by Ryan Ruprecht
Recorded Sound by Chase D. Burkhart
Performed by Seth Eberle and Kallie Melvin
In the winter when the sun sets early, it is easy to feel down. Elvis Otter is lonely and sad. His friends try to help, showing him the ways in which winter is wonderful and how to find joy, even in the darkest of seasons. However, as soon as his friends leave, the Goblins come and gobble up his happiness. How can Elvis chase away the darkness and convince his friends that the Goblins are real?
Through hand-carved marionette characters, hand puppets, and beautiful music, With Stars Above considers how families and friends can find warmth together in the deepest winter.