Puppet Uprising 7th Anniversary Show

Fri.-Sat., June 29-30, 8 p.m., The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St.

by Mickey Jou

puppet/theater

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On the eve of its 7th anniversary, Puppet Uprising would like to thank all the talented puppeteers and performers that have crossed its path since its start in 2000. Morgan FitzPatrick Andrews, co-founder/curator of Puppet Uprising, remembers the company's humble beginnings: "There are so many people making good theater and good art [in Philly today] but it hasn't always been the case. We used to have to scrape for acts."

Unlike fellow Philly puppet masters Spiral Q and Mum Puppettheatre, Puppet Uprising produces local acts and hosts out-of-state performers. Andrews sees puppet theater mostly as "using objects to tell stories; puppets are not the be-all, end-all of [what we do]." To that end, Puppet Uprising has invited the Montana-based Missoula Oblongata, an experimental performance troupe, to stage The Most Mysterious Day of the Year, its second full-length production, in Philly. Says Mysterious Day director Sarah Lowry, "The plot and the storyline are secondary to the tangible and sensory experience" using an original score, acrobatics and dance numbers and surprising props and lighting.

The opening act, local puppeteers The Skekses, however, is the best evidence to Puppet Uprising's contribution to the Philly puppetry scene. "[Before they saw us, The Skekses] never performed, never wrote a story, never produced," says Andrews. "This is their fourth show. A few years ago they were sitting in the front row, but now they know they can produce a show and have people come out to see it. We've created an awesome community."

Fri.-Sat., June 29-30, 8 p.m., $7 or less, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., www.puppetuprising.org.