American Puppet Theater Today, Galerie d’Outremont Montréal

March 3rd to April 3rd, 2022, a photograph from a workshop of Model Killer: Giant Crimes + Tiny Cover-ups is part of the exhibition, American Puppet Theater Today: The Photography of Richard Termine presented by the Jim Henson Foundation. American Puppet Theater Today is one of two exhibitions presented in parallel at Galerie Outremont as part of the Festival de Casteliers in Montréal. The companion exhibit, The Art of Basil Twist is presented by Tandem Otter Productions.

American Puppet Theater Today

New York-based photographer Richard Termine has documented American Puppet Theater for over 30 years. Termine’s work captures the animated gesture of the puppet in still images. Over 100 images and objects in this exhibition illustrate the dynamic range of Puppet Theater being created by a vibrant community of artists in the New York City area, as well as some of the excellent work presented at National Puppet Festivals across the United States.

“My training and work experience in puppet theater preceded my career as a photographer. It has shaped and guided my work with the camera.

My challenge as a photographer of puppet theater is to capture the animation of the puppet in a still image. To do that, I focus on the gestural life of the puppet, seeking to capture the “decisive moment” when the figure is most animated and a peak dramatic event is visualized.

Through the camera lens I am connected to the puppet and the puppeteer. I compose through the lens, and I feel a rich, creative exchange of energy as I shoot an art form I know and love.

Any photographer of theatrical performance is only as good as the artists they work with. It has been a blessing to collaborate with some of the most talented puppet artists in America and to capture their unique artistry.”

Richard Termine

The Jim Henson Foundation previously presented a version of the exhibition at La Mama Gallery in 2021, and the World Festival of Puppetry at in Charleville-Mézières, France in 2019

During production, Termine began photographing behind the scenes and this work led to a new career as a performing arts photographer. He has photographed many of the world’s leading performers and puppet artists.

Currently, Richard is a photographer for the culture desk of The New York Times. His other clients include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and The Metropolitan Opera. He currently serves as the Jim Henson Foundation’s Vice President.

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Cheryl Henson became the President of the Foundation in 1992. Since it began, the Foundation has awarded over 1000 grants to more than 360 puppet artists for the creation, development, and presentation of new works of innovative contemporary puppet theater.

From 1992–2000, the Foundation produced the largest international festivals of puppet theater in the United States. Initially presented on the five stages of the Public Theater, the festival expanded to 24 stages including La MaMa, HERE Arts Center, and PS122 and presented 136 different productions from 31 countries. With Cheryl Henson as Executive Producer and Leslee Asch as Producing Director, the five festivals brought the best of contemporary puppetry from all over the world to New York audiences and garnered critical acclaim for puppet theater. The city continues to foster an extraordinarily dynamic creative community of puppet artists as well as a number of wonderful theaters committed to including puppetry in their seasons.

In addition to Artist Grants for the development of new works, the Foundation currently offers Presenters Grants to theaters in the New York City area, an annual residency at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, and two international travel grants called the Allelu Award, named after founding board member Allelu Kurten. The Foundation is proud to present Richard Termine’s photographs, which include many Foundation grant recipients.

The Art of Basil Twist

Basil Twist is originally from San Francisco, though he has adopted New York as his home. A third-generation puppeteer, he is the only American to have graduated from the prestigious École supérieure nationale des arts de la marionnette in Charleville-Mézières, France.

Basil Twist’s aesthetic is like no other, and regardless of the types of puppets used or the scale of the shows, the establishment of a dialogue with music is always at the very heart of his approach.

He has taught at leading universities in the United States, including Princeton, Stanford, Duke, New York University Rhode Island School of Design, and Brown. His work has received a number of awards: Obie, Drama Desk Awards, UNIMA Awards, Bessie Awards, a New York Innovative Theatre Award, and a Henry Hewes Award. He has been honoured with a MacArthur, the “Rome Prize” from The American Academy in Rome, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His productions have received valuable support from the Jim Henson Foundation.

This annual 11th art happening will showcase North American puppetry, with creative works from Mexico, the United States, Nunavut  and Québec. The 2022 Festival de Casteliers presents a dozen shows, major exhibitions, and professional networking and awareness-raising activities that will appeal to and captivate young and old alike.