They have enchanted audiences for over 70 years, and now Dallas Children’s Theater (DCT) presents another unique opportunity to experience the magic of priceless antique marionettes in Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts’ production of THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER.A.A. Milne’s darling, classic characters return for new and even more adorable adventures February 29 through March 30 in the Studio Theater at DCT’s Rosewood Center for Family Arts.

In the spring of 2006, Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts produced “Winnie-the Pooh”, adapted for the stage by Jane Hook, and DCT audiences have been asking for more ever since.Kathy Burks comments, “We are thrilled to bring even more Winnie-the-Pooh stories to the puppet stage with B. Wolf’s wonderful adaptation.The Winnie-the-Pooh stories have such a timeless appeal and have entertained generations with their innocent and gentle portrayal of friendship and life.When the time comes to leave the 100 Acre Wood, hopefully we take with us some of the wonder, joy and promise of childhood.”

Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts is a nationally acclaimed puppet troupe best known for its stunning black theatre performances with rod puppets.The troupe returns to its origins with THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER performed with antique marionettes.

Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts is the oldest resident puppet theater in the southwest.Established in 1973 as Kathy Burks Marionettes and performing continuously since that time, the troupe has provided family entertainment for audiences in North Texas and throughout the United States.

At its inception, the company performed exclusively with the antique marionettes that Ms. Burks acquired in 1971.These antiques proved too fragile to withstand the rigors of continual performance.With the retirement of the antique collection, Ms. Burks and her troupe began to design and construct new marionettes for performance and started to incorporate other styles of puppetry into their presentations.In 1992, Kathy Burks Marionettes became Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts, one of the few puppet theaters in the country to perform using all styles of puppetry, including traditional bridge and cabaret marionettes, hand puppets, shadow puppets, and black theatre rod puppets.

HISTORY OF ANTIQUE PUPPETS – SUE HASTINGS’ MARIONETTES

In the early 1920's, Sue Hastings was an aspiring playwright in New York City.Frustrated with the limitations and idiosyncrasies of the actors she encountered in the theater, she decided to approach the art of drama through a different means, one which she believed was more controllable - puppetry.

Sue Hastings helped to perpetuate the ancient art of puppetry and was instrumental in the reestablishment of marionette theatre as a true contributor to the performing arts.For nearly 30 years, Ms. Hastings was the leading marionette producer in the world and ran the largest and most active marionette organization in the country.

Originally, Sue Hastings’ Marionettes was a collection of 3,000 hand-crafted puppets designed by Ms. Hastings and a crew of 50 artists.The years prior to Kathy Burks’ acquisition of the puppets took a toll on the collection, as 2,000 of them were lost to fire and termites.

The marionettes were a well-traveled group.Until the 1950’s, as many as 12 full companies of the puppets were touring the nation simultaneously.They performed internationally in Canada, the West Indies and the Virgin Islands.One highlight in their past was a special invitation to perform at the White House.They appeared at the Texas Centennial and the Century of Progress exposition in Chicago, participated in three Broadway musicals, ran four seasons under the auspices of the New York Theatre Guild, and appeared in numerous commercial advertising programs for both magazines and television.

The collection moved to Dallas from New York in 1952 when the company was sold to Ms. Hastings' long-time associate, puppeteer and troupe manager, Linnea Linsley.Ms. Linsley brought the marionettes to Dallas for a series of children’s films for Jamieson Film Co., and for eight years performed live on WFAA-TV five mornings a week as Tapper Rabbit and Mr. Frog.A few years later, while in semi-retirement, Ms. Linsley began to teach the art of puppeteering from her home in Oak Cliff.Among her students were Kathy Burks (then a professional musician and teacher) and two of her children, Douglass and Becky.

Ms. Burks purchased the entire collection in 1971 after the death of Ms. Linsley's husband and started her new theater company.The puppets were used exclusively in the early days of Kathy Burks Marionettes.As the company grew into a viable arts organization with new artists and craftsmen involved in the production company, the ever-aging antique collection has slowly been retired.Though they do not perform much anymore, they still bring pleasure when displayed as the beautiful and historically significant works of art that they are.

Handcrafted by Sue Hastings’ troupe in the early 1930's, the antique Winnie-the-Pooh puppets were modeled after E.H. Shepherd’s expressive illustrations.The puppets traveled the United States touring small and midsized towns as part of the Redpath Bureau Chautauqua.Archives document that the troupe performed in New York Town Hall for a special holiday performance in 1931, as well as performing for the Roosevelt family at the White House in December 1937.

Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts’ THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER focuses on themes of finding a home and building friendships, and features all of the favorite characters from Milne’s classic book: Pooh Bear, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga, Little Roo, Owl and Christopher Robin.The production links several adventures of Pooh and his companions from the 100 Acre Wood, such as winter episodes where Pooh tracks a Heffalump and Pooh and Piglet build a house for Eeyore.Summer arrives and a storm blows Owl’s house down and everyone helps him search for a new one.Musical underscoring includes compositions by B. Wolf, as well as Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” and George Frideric Handel’s “Water Music."

DALLAS CHILDREN'S THEATER

STUDIO THEATER, ROSEWOOD CENTER FOR FAMILY ARTS

5938 SKILLMAN ST., 75231

Performance times: Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 1:30pm; Saturday, March 29 at 4:30pm; Sundays at 1:30pm and 4:30pm

Ticket Prices: Friday Nights - $16 Adult & Youth Section A; $12 Adult & Youth Section B Saturday/Sunday - $21 Adult/$19 Youth Section A; $18 Adult/$16 Youth Section B Saturday/Sunday Senior discount - $19 Section A, $16 Section B Saturday/Sunday College Student discount - $18 Section A, $14 Section B

DCT Box Office: 214-740-0051 Tickets also available on-line!www.dct.org.

THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER is sponsored by The Hersh Foundation.

Dallas Children's Theater's 2007-2008 Season is sponsored by The Dallas Morning News; WFAA-TV Channel 8; The M.R. & Evelyn Hudson Foundation; Maintenance of Dallas, Inc.; The New 103.7 Lite FM; The Rosewood Foundation; Target; TACA; Charles Schwab & Co.; The Hersh Foundation; Communities Foundation of Texas; and The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy. Co-produced by El CentroCommunity College and supported in part by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, and Texas Commission on the Arts. American Airlines is the official airline of Dallas Children's Theater.