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puppetry

'Une Traversée' puppet design by Natacha Belova et Tita Iacobelli. iPhoto caption: 'Une Traversée' puppet design by Natacha Belova et Tita Iacobelli. Photo by Pierre-Yves Jortay.

REVIEW: Montreal in March? Bring on the puppets.

The 21st annual Festival International de Casteliers featured an energizing series of Quebecois and European productions that took the medium of puppetry in surprising directions.

By Liam Donovan / Mar 11, 2026

Puppeteer Annie Katsura Rollins is ready for the shadow revolution

"I disagree with how the Western world has equated shadows with darkness and ignorance and evil," says Rollins. "Shadows are equally as important as light. We give them no notice, once we grow up past a certain age. But they are necessary for us to process the world, and see in three dimensions, and understand movement and texture."

By Nathaniel Hanula-James / Sep 2, 2025
iPhoto caption: Photo by Ian Jackson

REVIEW: In Ronnie Burkett’s darkly intelligent Wonderful Joe, gentrification hits like a meteor

When Siminovitch-winning puppet virtuoso Ronnie Burkett chose the focus of his latest play, was he thinking of TO Live’s $421-million plan to redevelop its St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts?

By Liam Donovan / Oct 9, 2024
life of pi iPhoto caption: Photo by Johan Persson.

REVIEW: Life of Pi gleams with unforgettable puppets

Based on the beloved novel by Yann Martel, the exquisite touring production uses puppets as its vocabulary, asking complex questions about storytelling and the power of imagination.

By Aisling Murphy / Sep 15, 2024