Flushing Town Hall Presents U.S. Premiere of Award-Winning “Paper Play,” a Taiwanese Puppet Show for All Ages

“Paper Play”

—  “…the cast’s gusto and rapid creativity constantly enthrall young and old alike” The Stage —

— “A perfect, heartfelt performance with the Midas touch of imagination.” Performing Arts Review, Taipei —

On Sunday, August 13, Flushing Town Hall will present the award-winning Paper Play by Puppet Beings Theatre. Families are invited to join a 1 PM workshop prior to the 2:15 PM family show.

An instant classic created by Puppet Beings Theatre, Paper Play will delight audiences of all ages with its unique stage, puppets, and props—all made entirely from paper! In this way, Paper Play ingeniously promotes the idea of a one-material Object Theater, which is a form of modern puppetry that utilizes everyday objects as the main characters and elements of a performance, leading young audiences into a world of unbounded imagination and diverse creativity. Folding and joining this everyday object in creative ways, the production completely reimagines paper as a storytelling and creative medium. 

In their performance at Flushing Town Hall, the artists from Taiwan will present two stories:  

“The Park”: As a little boy plays with a ball in the park, it unexpectedly brings him closer to an old man he had once feared. Puppets, lights, and music bring to life this touching story of caring for the elderly.  

“The Paper Play”: In a wild and creative ride, paper is playfully transformed into a wide range of different characters, completely reimagining the properties and possibilities of your everyday writing sheet.  Both

“The Park” and “The Paper Play” will take audiences on an adventure filled with wonder and laughter, offering magical moments of playfulness and discovery.

In the pre-performance workshop, participants of all ages will have the opportunity to create their own mini-performance using various shapes of paper. 

Puppet Beings Theatre was founded in Taiwan in 2000 by Cheng-Chieh Sun, a seasoned puppet performing artist, dedicated to introducing, developing, and producing modern puppet shows. Puppet Beings Theatre presents what is called a “Bunraku” performance – a puppet theater that has real people working with string puppets (marionettes), hand/glove puppets, rod puppets, or masks and shadow puppets (shadow silhouettes).

The company produces elaborate puppet shows of the highest quality and has performed at international festivals in India, Edinburgh, Tunisia, China, Latvia, and more. Puppet Beings Theatre will make its U.S. debut by participating in this year’s International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC in Manhattan earlier in August and will wrap up its U.S. performances with a final show at Flushing Town Hall in Queens.

“We are delighted to welcome the Puppet Beings Theatre for their U.S. premiere at Flushing Town Hall, “says, Director of Education & Public Programs, Gabrielle M. Hamilton. “Their innovative puppetry unleashes the imagination and creativity in audiences of all ages.”

Puppet Beings Theatre has won many International Puppet Art Awards, including “Best Performance” and “Best Creativity” at Shanghai International Children Theatre Festival 2009 and “Creative Award” at the First China Nanchong International Puppet Art Week 2014. 

Tickets for Paper Play are $15 for general admission, $12 for members, seniors, and students, and $8 for children 12 and under, and include the workshop. To purchase tickets, visit https://www.flushingtownhall.org/event-detail.php?id=405. The show is 60 minutes long and suitable for all ages. 

This program has been funded in part by The Jim Henson Foundation.   

For the venue’s full schedule of 2023 summer events, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/fth-presents 

For those unable to attend events in person, Flushing Town Hall has launched Culture Stream. Subscriptions start at $5 per month. 

COVID Policy:

Flushing Town Hall no longer requires visitors or performers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19; wearing a mask is optional but recommended. For more details, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/covid-safety

Support Global Arts with a Gift Today!

All gifts of $50 or more give you exclusive Flushing Town Hall Circle of Friends membership benefits including a Smithsonian membership, ticket discounts, and more! Donations in any amount are appreciated to support the artists and the nonprofit cultural organization as they continue to provide programming and entertainment across New York and the world.

https://www.flushingtownhall.org/circle-of-friends 

Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization and receives major support in 2023 from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; New York State Assembly Member Ron Kim; The City of New York, Mayor Eric Adams; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Laurie Cumbo; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; The New York City Council, Speaker Adrienne E. Adams and New York City Council Members Sandra Ung, Tiffany Caban, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Vickie Paladino, Lynn Schulman, and Jessica Won; Howard Gilman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Guru Krupa Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation. 

To view current donor lists, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/donor-listings 

About Flushing Town Hall

Flushing Town Hall (FTH), a Smithsonian affiliate, presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates the history of Queens as the home of jazz, by presenting the finest in jazz performance. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657. 

Flushing Town Hall is a proud member of the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), a collective of 34 nonprofit museums, performing arts centers, historical societies, zoos, and botanical gardens across all five boroughs with a distinct private-public partnership with the City of New York and a commitment to serving all New Yorkers. 

Land Acknowledgement:

Flushing Town Hall acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Matinecock People, one of the original tribes of New York, and the first people of Flushing, Queens. The Matinecock continue to live and work on this land to this day. Flushing Town Hall honors their elders who have stewarded this land throughout generations.