Event

Professor Willikers Grand Puppet Slam

Arcata Playhouse hosts its 4th Annual Puppet Slam Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3. What is a Puppet Slam you ask? Well first, there are over 100 of these type
events happening across the country just like this one. The National Puppet Slam Network describes them as follows: "Puppet Slams feature contemporary short-form
puppet and object theater for adult audiences, often late night in small venues, nightclubs, and art spaces. Puppet Slams exist at the nexus of vaudeville, burlesque, and
performance art through the intersection of experimental theater, art, music and dance as a viable alternative to the culturally homogenous digital mass media.
" We just like to say "Puppet mayhem with live music in a cabaret format!"

This year's slam use the theme of Dreams and Nightmares as a take-off point for our performers to play in this wonderful form. You will see everything from shadow puppet
dancing to miniature and giant puppets to puppet dancing girls with live music from a four piece band led by Gregg Moore. Puppet contributors for this year include
Black Cat Shadows, Dupre's Creepy Puppets, AC/DC Puppets, Bay Area puppeteer Mary Nagler and of course the Indestructible Professor Willikers. It will definitely be a raucous night
of wild antics with a wide range of puppet styles and moods from comic to dark and beautiful. The show is recommended for adult audiences with sets by Lush Newton and James Hildebrant.

The performances are sponsored by Playhouse Arts and the Puppet Slam Network which is a national network of short form puppetry performance www.puppetslam.com.
The Puppet Slam Network is a great resource with over 100 Slams across the country and in Puerto Rico and Canada. The Playhouse folks are excited to be part of the nationwide fun.