At MOA’s Puppet Extravaganza, enjoy live theatrical puppet acts, interactive play, wandering giant puppets and guided tours of MOA’s new exhibition—Shadows, Strings and Other Things: The Enchanting Theatre of Puppets. The family-friendly afternoon features marionette and hand puppet performances by local puppeteers Viktor Barkar and Kellie Haines. Visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to engage with the professional puppeteers who will share their rich knowledge of diverse puppetry traditions.

Program Schedule

Great Hall

Opening remarks | 12 pm
Marionette performance by Viktor Barkar | 12:15 pm
Hand puppet performance by Kellie Haines | 2:00 pm
Hand puppet demonstration with Kellie Haines | 2:30 pm
Q&A with Kellie Haines and Viktor Barkar | 2:45 pm

Audain Gallery

Curator tours of Shadows, Strings and Other Things with Curator Nicola Levell | 12:30 pm, 1 pm + 1:30 pm

Presentation Circle

Interactive puppet play with Kellie Haines + Julia Farry | 12:40 pm + 1:10 pm

Full Museum

Roving puppets and marionettes | 1–2 pm

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About the Artists

Viktor Barkar was born and raised in Minsk, Belarus. He became interested in puppetry at the age of nine when he attended the State Puppet Theatre of Belarus for the first time. Ever since he has been captivated by this art form. Viktor is constantly looking for a new forms in puppetry. He has designed and made over 35 puppets for his own puppet plays.

Kellie Haines started talking to her puppets at the age of eight and when they started talking back, she knew she was hooked. “Puppets have stories to tell,” she says, “and they can bring out voices and characters from inside us that we didn’t know were there.” Kellie’s love for storytelling and different types of puppets from across the world has brought her to Shadows, Strings and Other Things at MOA.