# Event Details - **Event Name**: Opening of Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 26 Mar, 2026 at 05:00 pm – Thu, 26 Mar, 2026 at 07:00 pm - **Event Description**: The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present the grand opening of its new exhibition Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century on Thursday, March 26 with refreshments served at 5 p.m., and a free tour at 5:30 p.m. The tour will also be streamed on Ballard Institute’s Facebook Live. All events will take place at the Ballard Institute, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. U.S. puppetry in the early twentieth century reflected popular European traditions—as well as African American and some Asian forms—but also saw the emergence of innovations based on the idea of puppetry as a modern performance form. U.S. puppeteers in the 1940s and 50s saw that puppetry was still considered a low-culture entertainment form for children but began to develop new forms and contexts for puppetry to be understood as a modern art form for all audiences in theater, film, and television. This exhibition focuses on puppet innovations in live performance, a variety of forms on varying stages, and multiple different influences. Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century, curated by Ballard Institute Director John Bell, includes work by puppeteers Basil Milovsoroff, Larry Reed, Sandy Spieler, Dan Hurlin, Janie Geiser, Peter Schumann, Theodora Skipitares, Eric Bass, Sidney Chrysler, Amy Trompetter, Brad Brewer, Zuni Maud, Robert Anton, Nicola Seraphine, Charles Ludlam, Bob Baker, and Stephen Kaplin. The museum will be closed through March 26 while the new exhibition is installed. After the opening, the Ballard Institute will be open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There is no set admission, but visitors are encouraged to pay as they wish. Learn more at bimp.uconn.edu. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/storrs-mansfield/opening-of-becoming-modern-us-puppetry-in-the-twentieth-century/200029809940559 - **Event Categories**: Exhibitions, Art, Theatre, Entertainment - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 23 ## Ticket Details ## Event venue details - **city**: Storrs Mansfield - **state**: CT - **country**: United States - **location**: 1 Royce Cir, Ste 101B, Storrs, CT, United States, Connecticut 06268 - **lat**: 41.8047 - **long**: -72.24185 - **full address**: 1 Royce Cir, Ste 101B, Storrs, CT, United States, Connecticut 06268, 1 Royce Cir, Storrs Center, CT 06268-2259, United States, Storrs Mansfield ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Opening of Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/1521d73424103da8536a5c1a3d8abbd22a25cd3fefb9cbcae87988bd2dc49039-rimg-w1200-h783-dc9093a3-gmir?v=1774235341 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Opening of Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century being held? - **A:** Opening of Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century takes place on Thu, 26 Mar, 2026 at 05:00 pm to Thu, 26 Mar, 2026 at 07:00 pm at 1 Royce Cir, Ste 101B, Storrs, CT, United States, Connecticut 06268, 1 Royce Cir, Storrs Center, CT 06268-2259, United States, Storrs Mansfield. - **Q**: Who is organizing Opening of Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century? - **A:** Opening of Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century is organized by Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Opening of Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century is ideal for art lovers, trade professionals, collectors, and exhibition enthusiasts exploring the latest in their field. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Storrs Mansfield, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Opening of Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Opening of Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/1521d73424103da8536a5c1a3d8abbd22a25cd3fefb9cbcae87988bd2dc49039-rimg-w1200-h783-dc9093a3-gmir?v=1774235341", "startDate": "2026-03-26", "endDate": "2026-03-26", "url": "https://allevents.in/storrs-mansfield/opening-of-becoming-modern-us-puppetry-in-the-twentieth-century/200029809940559", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "1 Royce Cir, Ste 101B, Storrs, CT, United States, Connecticut 06268", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "1 Royce Cir, Storrs Center, CT 06268-2259, United States", "addressLocality": "Storrs Mansfield", "addressRegion": "CT", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "41.8047", "longitude": "-72.24185" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present the grand opening of its new exhibition Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century on Thursday, March 26 with refreshments served at 5 p.m., and a free tour at 5:30 p.m. The tour will also be stre", "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/ballard-institute-and-museum-of-puppetry/1649592", "description": "Thanks for liking this page! The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry (BIMP) is part of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, and Connecticut's State Puppet Museum. Connect with us at bimp.uconn.edu." } ] } ] ```