PUTNEY — On Saturday, Jan. 23, at 1 and 3 p.m., Sandglass Theater kicks off its Winter Sunshine series for young audiences with shadow puppeteer Jim Napolitano and his show, “Shadows Around the World.”
This show will be the first of three family performances spaced throughout the winter. The performance is geared toward young audiences, but promises an entertaining and enjoyable experience for adults as well.
Napolitano calls shadow puppetry “the most magical and cinematic” form of puppetry, and considers puppetry a form of storytelling.
“Stories can do many things: entertain, educate, persuade - and they are so very important,” he said.
Napolitano tells audiences that stories are the key to learning about a culture. “Stories teach us what the tellers think are important and what they/we value,” he said.
Now in its ninth season, Sandglass Theater's Winter Sunshine series offers a range of live puppetry and theater performances at affordable prices.
This year, Sandglass will be introducing the Winter Sunshine puppet, handmade by co-founder Ines Zeller Bass.
This puppet will be raffled off through the duration of the series to support the events.
Napolitano is a native of Milford, Conn., and a graduate of the University of Connecticut's Puppet Arts Program. After completion of his degree, he worked with Bits and Pieces Puppet Theater. He performed around the country and around the world, including The National Culture Center in Japan and The National Theater in Taiwan.
He is now working as a freelance artist and performer. His work can be seen on the PBS show, “Between The Lions.” Other television credits include “The Book Of Pooh,” “The Weinerville Chanukah Special,” “A Show of Hands,” and “Stick Stickly.” He has also worked on programs for Scholastic Home Video and HBO Pictures.