I’m leading the 5-day online shadow mechanics workshop, Shadow Puppetry (level 2), for the 8th time for the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Fall 2024 workshop series. We’re trying a new schedule format with five 2-hour sessions spread over three weeks on Wednesday and Thursday nights on from November 6-20. Sessions run 7-9pm CT / 8-10pm ET. For inquiries, scholarship options, and registration go to the Chicago Puppet Fest Fall 2024 Workshops page.

We’ll be in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany to attend the Internationales Schattentheater Festival presented by the Internationales Schattentheater Museum from October 10-17, 2024. We’ll visit the museum for the first time, participate in workshops, and see over a dozen performances of shadow puppetry and shadow theater.

Every three years, in October, Schwäbisch Gmünd becomes the "capital of shadow theatre": International performers showcase the fascinating technical and artistic possibilities that light and shadow art offer for one week.

Founded in 1989 by Rainer Reusch, the International Shadow Theater Festival Schwäbisch Gmünd is the oldest and only continuous festival for contemporary shadow theatre worldwide. Rainer Reusch wished to create a platform for contemporary shadow artists scattered all over the world, where they could present their productions, get to know each other, discuss, and form friendships. Nowhere else is a better opportunity for performers and audiences to experience the developments of this centuries-old art form that touches people at their core. Performances for adults and children are part of the extensive program of the festival, inviting everyone to come to Schwäbisch Gmünd for exchange and interaction.

I’m guest teaching a series of shadow puppet workshops for Prof. Kaja McGowan’s Shadow Play course at Cornell University in the Johnson Museum this Fall 2024 semester. Contact me if you’re interested in having me teach at your organization or institution: linda.wingerter@gmail.com

I’m leading this 5-day online workshop, Shadow Puppetry (level 2), for the 7th time for the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival workshop series. This spring we’re trying a new schedule format. Instead of 5 sessions in one week, we’re spreading the same sessions out over two weeks on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights on April 24, 25, May 1, 2, 3. Sessions run 7-9pm CT / 8-10pm ET. For inquiries, scholarship options, and registration go to the Chicago Puppet Fest Spring 2024 Workshops page.

Valley Regional Musical Productions’ The Wizard of Oz includes 3 crows made by The Stringpullers (as well as some other wonderful puppets by Matt Sorenson and the VRMP crew.)

VRMP’s performances of The Wizard of Oz will take place at the auditorium of Valley Regional High School on Friday, March 15; Saturday, March 16; and Sunday, March 17. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on March 15, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on March 16, and 1 p.m. on March 17. Tickets are available for purchase at Valley Regional High School and Celebrations in Deep River.

I’ll join Tom Lee and team in Chicago for a week-long workshop to develop a new puppet stage production to be announced in the future.

Misophonia is an official selection of the International Fine Arts Film Festival Santa Barbara. This is a special festival that highlights films about the visual and performing arts. It’s one of 27 films that will screen virtually this year throughout November. Tickets will be on their website.

Misophonia is an official selection of the Mystic Film Festival which will take place in Mystic, Connecticut from October 19-22, 2023. Misophonia will be part of the Short Film Block 4: Spotlight on Women Directors on Saturday, October 21 at 4:30pm in the Mystic Luxury Cinemas. Linda will be present for a Q&A afterwards. More information on the Mystic Film Festival website.

Misophonia will be part of the Travel FilmFest in Limassol, Cyprus which runs from October 20-22, 2023. This is a special festival, because all the films are travel related. Misophonia screens in the second block of the first day, Friday, October 20 at 7pm Cyprus time, 12pm New York time. Online tickets are also available at this link.

Misophonia is one of 12 shortlisted films that will be part of the virtual Unbroken Short Film Festival, which highlights mental health. The films will screen from October 17-22, 2023 on their website, and the audience can vote for their favorites. The Festival is a project of Shadow Road, a London theater company.

Misophonia will screen at a private event for the Arts Council for Wyoming County in Perry and Cuba, New York on October 13 and 14, 2023. To inquire about film screenings for events, contact Linda through The Stringpullers contact page.

Misophonia will be part of the Best of the Fest series presented by the Woods Hole Film Festival at the Cotuit Center for the Arts on Cape Cod. Misophonia was runner up for Best Animated Short jury award at this years Festival. The series runs from October 8-11, Misophonia will be in the Award Winning Shorts 2 block on Tuesday, October 10 at 6pm.

Misophonia will be part of the New York State International Film Festival in Albany, New York which runs from September 22-23, 2023. This festival is dedicated to shorts, all films are 30 minutes and under. More information to come.

We’re trying out a new short slam piece called Galaxy Laundromat at Lilypad Puppet Theatre’s Slam Jamboree at the Community School of Music and Art in Ithaca, New York on September 15 & 16 at 7:30pm. Tickets available online or at the door.

Misophonia is an official selection of the Bridgeport Film Fest which will be screening over 90 films between September 8-10 at the Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport, Connecticut. More info to come.

Misophonia has been selected to screen at the 9th Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival in Vermont between August 23-27, 2023. More information to come.

Misophonia is part of the new Handmade Puppet Dreams Frights and Delights collection screening at the 2023 International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC on Thursday, August 4 at 4pm, and again on Sunday August 13 at 11am. I’ll be there for the artist talk back right after the Thursday 4pm screening along with filmmakers and HPD producers Alex Griffin and Jessica Simon, fellow cohort Jaime Sunwoo, and HPD founder Heather Henson. The Festival is an avalanche of workshops and performances by puppetry artists from all over the world and runs from Aug 9-18 at Teatro SEA at 107 Suffolk Street in NYC.

Physical Shadow Puppets on the Digital Stage: workshop with Tom Lee and Linda Wingerter

July 24-29, 2023 at the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival in the Fine Arts Building at 410 S Michigan Ave, Studio 310 Chicago, IL

Join master shadow puppet artist Linda Wingerter (Stringpullers’ Puppet Theater, IG pollysonic) and director/designer Tom Lee (War Horse/Akutagawa/Chicago Puppet Studio) for a deep dive into traditional shadow puppet techniques fused with video technology and cameras.

The class begins with specific projects in shadow mechanisms, backgrounds and recorded puppetry. Following these skill-building exercises, participants will have a chance to combine live, recorded and live feed shadow figures into a short performance experiment of their own performed with their colleagues in the Chicago Puppet Festival studios on the final day of class. Technique, feedback and design consultation will be offered by two experts in the field of shadow puppetry and projection. Note: Linda Wingerter will teach by Zoom July 24, 25, 26 before joining in person in Chicago July 27. Tom Lee will be in-person all dates.

For information and registration see the workshop listing here, or contact Chicago Puppet Fest: info@chicagopuppetfest.org

Misophonia will be part of the Reel Puppetry Film Festival at the National Puppetry Festival in Maryland between July 18-22, 2023.

We’ll be attending the Puppeteers of America’s 2023 National Puppetry Festival from July 18-22 at the University of Maryland. I’ll be leading two 1.25 hour workshops there: Multiplane Puppetry and Flat Mechanics. Registration is open on the Festival website.

Misophonia will be in the Handmade Puppet Dreams line up of films at Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN on June 16 & 17, 2023. Going from midnight to 4am, puppet films that are part of the Handmade Puppet Dreams series will screen non-stop in the House of Yes Night Owl Cinema.

I’m returning to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut to take part in the National Puppetry Conference. I’ll be working on toy theater with Carlo Adinolfi and shadow theater with Fabrizio Montecchi of Teatro Gioco Vita. Public performances are held on the final Friday and Saturday night of the conference, June 9 & 10. Tickets will be available on the O’Neill Center’s website.