This story sprung from the mind of Burlington theatre artist and playwright Chris Caswell and Saints and Poets produced the original work for the stage in 2013. The Puppet Shoppe is a two-person, many-puppet play set in the near future. As authorities collect all books in existence to create a comprehensive database of knowledge, two puppet shop owners find themselves in possession of the very last book and must decide whether or not to turn it in. But can they trust the authorities? Can they even trust one another?

“With The Puppet Shoppe, I found it interesting to explore themes of trust; the control of words and how that affects history, identity and the power of performance,” said Caswell.

The Puppet Shoppe featured frequent Saints and Poets collaborators Chris Caswell and G. Richard Ames as puppet shop owners Anya and Boris. Jordan Gullikson directed the production that also featured original music composed by Johnnie Day Durand.

Produced at the Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, September 2013.