The Big Dipper: Calendar, Compass, and Clock

The Big Dipper: Calendar, Compass, and Clock

April 06 - April 14

by Red Herring Puppets

Directed by Lisa Sturz

Featuring marionettes operated by:
Lisa Sturz
Amelie Allen

 

 

LTW’s Children’s Theatre partners with Red Herring Puppets to produce “The Big Dipper”. What is the most easily recognizable star pattern in the sky? Discover the mystery and science of the Big Dipper through stories from the ancient Chinese, Micmac Indians, Greek, and Aztec cultures, and the Southern slaves following the “drinkin gourd” to freedom. Combining skillfully crafted marionettes and shadow puppets, we see how the stars can be used to tell time, track the seasons, and find your way at night. Red Herring Puppets has created a stellar production exploring the folklore and science related to the Big Dipper. This familiar star pattern is seen most of the year by more than half the world’s population and can be used to tell time, keep track of the seasons, and guide our way at night. The show features beautifully crafted marionettes and shadow puppets with tales from ancient Greece, China, the Micmac Indians on Nova Scotia and southern slaves seeking freedom in the north. Red Herring Puppets is an award-winning professional puppet company located in Tucson Arizona. Lisa Sturz, owner and artistic director has worked with Jim Henson Productions, Walt Disney Imagineering, Lucasfilm, PBS, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and many more.

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Performances

Previews:

Opening Night: April 6th, 2024

Regular Performances:

Saturdays at 5:00pm: April 6 & 13

Sundays at 1:00pm: April 7 & 14

COVID Safety Guidelines

About The Artists

Lisa Sturz

Puppeteer & Red Herring Puppets Artistic Director

Lisa Sturz

Lisa Aimee Sturz (puppeteer) is Artistic Director of Red Herring Puppets. They’ve been featured at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, NYC’s International Puppet Fringe Festival, Boston’s Puppet Showplace, and Phoenix’s Great Arizona Puppet Theatre. Red Herring is Artistic Associate at Tucson’s Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre.

 

Lisa worked with Lucasfilm, Disney Imagineering, Henson Productions, NBC, PBS, Ice Capades, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Silver Dollar Theme Park, several symphonies and Tucson’s Children’s Museum. Film and TV credits include NINJA TURTLES III, HOWARD THE DUCK, ELMO IN GROUCHLAND, THE FLINTSTONES, MURPHY BROWN, PUZZLE PLACE, MUPPETS FROM SPACE, ROGER RABBIT, ROBOCOP2 and BATMAN RETURNS. Lisa earned a California Emmy and an UNIMA Citation of Excellence (the highest honor in American puppetry). Her adult production of MY GRANDFATHER’S PRAYERS (airing internationally on JLTV) won the 2021 Religious Communications Council Award and a prestigious Telly Award.

 

Lisa holds a BA in Theatre (Grinnell College), an MA in Experimental Theatre (UConn), and an MFA in Puppetry (UCLA). She’s taught at CalPoly Grinnell, and Warren Wilson College.

Amelie Allen

Puppeteer

Amelie Allen

Amelie is a senior at the University of Arizona, studying Political Science and Journalism. In her free time she enjoys playing with puppets and long walks on the beach. She used to attend classes at the Live Theatre Workshop as a kid, and is excited to be making her debut on the Children’s Theatre stage.

Amanda Gremel

Artistic Director of Children's Programming, Lighting designer, and Stage Manager

Amanda Gremel

Amanda Gremel (Artistic Director of Children’s Programming, Lighting designer, and Stage Manager) is the Artistic Director of Children’s Programming here at LTW, which means she gets the chance to create wonderful seasons for our Children’s Theatre full of original and magical productions like the one you are about to see. She also runs our Education program which has grown so much over the past few years. She takes pride and honor in the work that her students accomplish each session and hopes to share with all children and their families the joy that comes with having arts in your life. Aside from enjoying her day job, She also directs, does choreography and she also likes to take to the stage from time to time. She was last seen on the Main Stage as Patsy Cline in ALWAYS…..PATSY CLINE, the many Women in NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, earning her a MAC nomination, Bertha in BOEING BOEING and Chorus in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE which won the MAC Award for best Drama. On the Children’s Theatre some of her favorite roles are the Cowardly Lion in THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, the Golden Goose in JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, Merlia in KING ARTHUR, and the Sheriff of Nottingham in ROBIN HOOD.