1974–1999 Puppet Showplace Theater was founded in June 1974 in Brookline, Massachusetts by Mary Churchill. As a teacher in the Boston school system, she had used puppets to teach students who had trouble learning to read. Later, Churchill began creating her own puppet shows. She named her company The Cranberry Puppets. After leaving teaching, Churchill found a vacant storefront at 30 Station Street in the historic
Building at 30–34 Station Street. It was located in her neighborhood of
Brookline Village across from the
Brookline Village (MBTA station). Churchill acquired the property and began to offer her own shows on weekends. Soon, other puppeteers from
Greater Boston began performing there as well. Performers included Eleanor Boylan, Elizabeth Clark, and Caleb Fullam and Company. In 1976, at a Russian puppet festival, Churchill met
hand puppet artist
Paul Vincent Davis. He became the theater's first
artist in residence. Davis held the position for 33 years. Davis and Churchill became lifelong companions and partners. In 1980, storefront properties became available at 32-33 Station Street. Churchill acquired the properties, removed a shared wall, and moved the theater next door in 1981. The new space was twice the size of the previous location. It had a small lobby, store, accessible restroom, and space for birthday parties and workshops. Over time, the theater became a venue for puppeteers visiting from across the United States and around the world. Puppet Showplace Theater grew "from a few weekend shows to an internationally recognized puppetry center." It also served as a meeting space for the Boston Area Guild of Puppetry. In 2007, Puppet Showplace created the Mary Churchill Memorial Fund. It honors "her legacy of generosity and her commitment to making arts accessible to all." The fund brings schoolchildren from low-income neighborhoods to see puppetry at Showplace. In 2008, Davis retired as artist in residence. During his tenure, Shur created five original shows, including ''Dr. Doohickey's Monster Machine
, The Magic Soup and Other Stories
, Tall Tales
, and Robin Hood
. In 2016, Shur received a Family Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation for his production Cardboard Explosion!'' It was an interactive work of puppet theater for family audiences. By 2009, Kathleen Conroy Mukwashi was artistic director. During her tenure, she developed adult education programs, school residencies, and tours. Myhrum also helped expand the Incubator project night into a program that partnered with local artists to develop new work. Incubator went on to launch 15 full-length touring productions. In 2016, Puppet Showplace partnered with
Franklin Park Zoo to present
The Midnight Zoo. The Halloween nighttime trail walk featured life-size fantasy creatures. In 2017, Sarah Nolen became the theater's third resident artist. After joining Showplace, she debuted two new shows:
The Fairy Tailor in 2018 and
Judy Saves the Day in 2019. In 2022, Nolen received a Family Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation for her production
Party Animals. The show follows four young animals as they prepare for their first party. In March 2020, performances at the theater were suspended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2021, the theater resumed live, in-person performances while continuing virtual performances. In June 2020, in the wake of the
George Floyd protests, Puppet Showplace opened applications for a Black Puppeteer Empowerment Grant & Creative Research Residency. The grant offered five Black artists $1,000 grants to support the research and development of new projects. == Operations ==